The One You Miss Most
by The Universal Storyteller
Summary: Great tragedy strikes the Hinata Apartments! A very long & very difficult quest must now begin to avenge and/or save the targeted soul or souls before it's too late. Will the survivors succeed or fail in their quest? You must read to find out!
1. Chapter One: Some Rather Tragic News

This story takes place in a potentially alternate timeline fusing elements from various canons, with some modifications as needed or desired, where they might be appropriate enough here and now, people. As such, many things may be, and most likely will be, quite different from how things are in the applicable canons here, quite naturally enough.

This story's main story events begin in its main timeline's year of AD 1993. This particular story begins after the events of the S season of the _Sailor Moon_ anime and/or the related applicable manga acts. And certain things will be at least somewhat different from what you people might normally expect from that point, no matter which particular _Sailor Moon_ canon or canons that you might have in mind here. For instance, Haruka and Michiru are NOT a couple, and never will be in this story or in any sequel sufficiently related to it, in terms of their continuity or continuities. Nor will there be any other same-gender "romantic" relationships here of any kind at all, whether they're male-male or female-female ones, for that matter. Among other things that will not be present at all in this story or any of its potential related sequels, if it can possibly be avoided somehow at all.

This story also begins some length of time after Chapter 69 of _Love Hina_'s manga canon, and an unknown length of time after the beginning of its anime canon, if not sometime after it as well. There will be some considerable differences from the former canon, in that relative to the applicable timeline, Keitaro, Naru, and Mutsumi are already done with their first year of college at Toudai one school year earlier than they get to that point in the canon manga version. Also, for story-related convenience, although I know that Japan normally has a quite different way of doing things, school calendar-wise, all school years for any students in school, no matter what their respective grades might be, will begin in September and end in May or June of the following year. That actually will be the case in this story and/or any of its sufficiently-related sequels here, by the way, everyone.

Certain characters from _Detective Conan_, AKA _Case Closed_, and _Inuyasha_, at least, if not certain others as well from any number of other canons will also periodically appear in this story and/or any potential sequels related to it, by the way. Wherever and whenever appropriate, things sufficiently related to them will be modified as needed, desired, and if at all possible. So please keep that in mind as you read this story here, if you possibly can, people.

Due to the rather unusual story requirements of this particular story and/or any potential related sequels to it, there actually will be certain things in it that you people will most likely not find in most, if not all, of my other stories anywhere at all, whether they're works of fan fiction or works of original fiction. For instance, there definitely will be polygamy in this story here, though normally I am very opposed to such things, among many other things, wherever they can possibly ever be avoided at all in this world of ours. Keitaro will ultimately have to marry multiple females, and have any number of children with them, somehow. He will also have to father children by any number of females through artificial means, where necessary and appropriate, for that matter. The reasons why will be shown in due time, of course, people. Other characters not mentioned in the list below will be added as the need arises, and as circumstances permit. This story here, however, is not going to be a happy story. Or at least not for the most part, anyway, it won't be. So please don't expect a lot of joy and celebration in it. This particular story of mine here will have at least some happy moments in it, just the same. But it still will mostly have a lot of sadness, tragedy, and unpleasant occurrences in it, not a lot of good things in it. So please be rather forewarned here, people. If you're looking for a lot of comedy in this particular story here, you all will be rather sorely mistaken indeed. But if you're actually looking for a real tear-jerker with multiple crossovers in it, then this particular story of mine might just be at least a little bit up your alley here, so to speak. This story will begin immediately after the character list below, by the way. Please read and review, then, in a quite clean, quite courteous, and quite constructive manner, if you please, everyone. TUS out.

* * *

Starting Ages of Certain Characters [As of June 10, 1993]:

_

* * *

Love Hina_

* * *

Keitaro Urashima 22

Shinobu Maehara 15

Mutsumi Otohime 23

Kaolla Su 16

Mitsune Konno 21

Motoko Aoyama 17

Naru Narusegawa 20

Haruka Urashima 30

Seta Noriyasu Unknown

Sarah McDougal Unknown

_

* * *

Sailor Moon_

* * *

Usagi Tsukino 16 [Serena]

Mamoru Chiba 22 [Darien/Endymion]

Ami Mizuno 16 [Amy]

Ryo Urawa 16 [Greg]

Rei Hino 17 [Raye]

Yuuichirou Kumada 20 [Chad]

Makoto Kino 16 [Lita]

Shinozaki Miyake 16 [Ken]

Minako Aino 16 [Mina]

Kohaku Kumada 18 (My Character)

Reika Nishimura 21 [Rita]

Motoki Furuhata 22 [Andrew]

Naru Osaka 17 [Molly]

Gurio Umino 17 [Melvin]

Queen Serenity 48

Prince Daniel 48 (My Character)

Sylvia Wakefield 19 (My Character)

Rolando Volois 20 (My Character)

Luna Unknown

Artemis Unknown

Mika Kayama 13

Shingo Tsukino 13 [Sammy]

Ikuko Tsukino 48 [Mama]

Kenji Tsukino 48 [Papa]

_

* * *

Inuyasha_

* * *

Kagome Higurashi

Sango Meyu

_

* * *

Detective Conan_/_Case Closed_

* * *

Ran Mouri [Rachel]

Shinichi Kudo [Jimmy]

* * *

Chapter One: Some Rather Tragic News

* * *

"I'm leaving," said Keitaro Urashima, while packing many of the things in his room at the Hinata Apartments. "So don't try to stop me, Mitsune."

"Why?"

"Because I want to see the world before I die, that's why."

"But you just got into Tokyo U with Naru and the turtle lady. Now why the change of heart?"

"I'm dying, and there's no cure for what I've got now. At least not yet, anyway."

Just then, Naru poked her head through the hole in his ceiling, and said, "Surely you must be joking, Keitaro Urashima. You can't be dying. Nothing can kill you, it seems to me."

"Well, you're wrong this time. I nearly got hit by the onion dome at Toudai, but got zapped by something alien in nature instead when I was then trying to get away from the dome as it fell to the ground near me. It made my left leg get in an unusual position. The doctors managed to fix my leg, somehow, without having to actually put it in a cast. But they also found out I have a currently-uncurable medical condition with a terminal diagnosis for sure, Naru."

"How long did they say you have, then, if you're telling us the truth here?" asked Naru, dropping through the hole.

"Two years, maximum. Most likely no more than twelve to eighteen months, at most, I think."

"House meeting, Kitsune?" asked Naru, moments later.

"Yes, the others should know, as well. They have a right to, of course, Naru," answered Kitsune, with just a bit of a concerned look on her face as she glanced at both Naru and Keitaro here, by the way.

"Yes, you're right, Kitsune." Naru thought for a minute, then bellowed out suddenly, "House meeting, everyone! Living room now, on the double! No exceptions!"

That done, Naru and Mitsune grabbed up Keitaro before he could stop them from doing so well enough, and hastily carried him downstairs to the living room for the unexpected meeting there, in fact. By the time they got there, everyone else was waiting for them in it.

"Naru-sempai, what's the big deal? Why the sudden meeting here? I was training on the roof when you called," said Motoko.

"Keitaro has some things to say to all of us here, Motoko. You had all best brace yourselves rather well, because they aren't good things, and nothing to make jokes about, either."

"Senpai, what's Naru talking about?" asked Shinobu, already fearing the worst, of course.

"I'm dying, everyone. And it's nothing anyone can actually somehow cure right now. There are various treatments for it, but not yet a cure. I will most likely be dead within twelve to eighteen months, and most definitely within two years, for sure." Keitaro then spent the next hour or so telling them all that he knew about his current condition and answering all their questions that he could about it.

After he had then done that well enough here, a long silence settled amongst the assembled group's members here for quite some length of time. It was quite a long while here before anyone spoke at all. And when the silence finally broke, Shinobu said, fighting back many tears as she did so, "No more punishing Keitaro unjustly for anything here, people. I will no longer allow it at all, for sure. Otherwise, the guilty will have to answer to me. No picking on him, either, to perhaps get him in trouble, or that will be true as well. He is also to have free rein to go anywhere on the grounds, within reason. Even when we're in the baths. He is to have that right, or else you'll have to deal with me as needed, in fact."

"Even then, Shinobu?" asked Naru. "Why?"

"For one, all the unjust punishments and tricks that have been inflicted on him by certain people who shall remain nameless, but still know who they are. Two, he's dying. The least we can do is to try to make whatever time he may have left with us as pleasant as possible, for that matter. Need I to give a third reason, at least, why I think this here and now?"

"No, I suppose not, but I still don't like this, Shinobu-chan," said Naru. "You know he may peek on us from time to time, at least."

"That may or may not be the case, Naru. But I don't really care any longer, if I ever did. I never want to hear any of you ever call him a pervert or other similar things again, and I most certainly don't want to hear any of you saying that he's doing perverted or other similar things ever again, either, just so you all know this quite well enough here. Kei-kun is now under my FULL protection, everyone, in fact, from now on. You cross him, you cross me! And I will NOT be so forgiving as he might!" exclaimed Shinobu.

"Are you in love with him, Shinobu?" asked Motoko.

"Terminally so. As I'm sure you all are by now. Except for Haruka, of course. I may find love again later, but not exactly like the love I've had for him for quite some time, Motoko. I know we're quite far apart in ages, but that fact is irrelevant now to quite some degree, everyone. I rather strongly suggest that we decide who should have first crack at him romantically in the time he has left, and also decide the order in which we should try to woo him."

"What do you mean, Shinobu?" asked Su. "I don't understand."

"If Keitaro is to be saved, somehow, we will have to see that he has children to carry on his family's line. That's because the cure to what he has will not be available for at least the near future, seeing as it's at least ten years away, at the very earliest, and maybe at least fifteen away, if not more. He will not be around in five years, so time travel will be necessary. Your main mission now is to start to try to create the needed technology that might help to save him, Su."

"I see. How long do I have?"

"If the cure is not sufficiently created, developed, and prepared by the middle of 2025, at the latest, Keitaro will not be able to be saved," said Shinobu.

"Oh, my. When do you want me to start, then, Shinobu?"

"Start as soon as possible, Su. He has to be saved, if at all possible, no matter what the cost might be. If you have to scrap certain other projects of yours to do what you can for him, so be it. His survival IS imperative!"

Motoko asked, "What am I then to do, Shinobu?"

"You and Naru must very soon begin recruiting and training a new band of warriors to hunt down the aliens that attacked Keitaro like they did. Whether male or female, of any age or class or appearance, and whether Terran or not. They sought to eliminate him from history, for some reason I don't know yet, and they must be punished for doing so, no matter what it takes!"

"That takes care of Naru, Su, and myself. But what about Kitsune and Mutsumi, or you, Shinobu?" asked Motoko.

"Kitsune and Mutsumi are going undercover. Kitsune, you are going to be a secret author and/or journalist. Mutsumi, you are going to college at Tokyo U. Learn all you can, and reveal as little as possible, about this condition of his and how it might possibly be cured in the future. There were several others near him who might have been exposed to whatever he was infected with, without knowing it. Seek them out as secretly as you can, and get back to either Su or me, if not both of us, with whatever you might find out, if you possibly can. As for me, I will do whatsoever I possibly can to help us save Kei-kun, even if I have to lead this quest of ours to try and save him somehow."

"What of Keitaro's studies, Shinobu?" asked Mutsumi.

"He will do them through correspondence courses of at least one kind, if and whenever possible, Mutsumi. Haruka, your part of our mutual quest is to gather whatever other information you possibly can that might help us here well enough. I don't really care how you do it, in fact. But your nephew will not survive if we are not able to create, develop, and use any potential cure in time."

"Is that all, Shinobu?" asked Naru.

Shinobu, rather seriously indeed, soon said, "For now, yes. You may all start on your parts of this mission. Keitaro, I had best get started on lunch now. Go back to your packing. I will be in the baths later, if you might wish to join us after supper. Wear whatever you wish, if you so choose. Otherwise, don't. Just that simple. Girls, no objections. I will not stand for them, for sure, any longer. So don't push me here at all."

Everyone looked at Shinobu's face, now quite stern-looking. Even Keitaro, of course. Naru said, finally, "On your head be it, then, if you can't lead us well enough on our quest to save him, Shinobu."

"Very well, Naru. On my head be it, if I can't. But I would rather gladly give my life to actually save his, if I possibly could, somehow, everyone, just so you all know this here well enough. No matter what! If needed, I will be his lifetime bodyguard!"

Shinobu then dismissed everyone else from the living room, before leaving the room herself for the kitchen. Keitaro was the last to leave it before she did the same. Before he left, he asked, "Shinobu, why did you stand up and do and say all that, if I might ask?"

"Because if I hadn't, I was afraid that I'd never be able to do so at all, my beloved manager. I hate the idea of possibly never seeing you again at all in my life, much more than any of the rest of them, I think. The others love you too, I know, but they don't really seem to think I am right for you in our lives, and vice versa. They are so wrong, if I'm not too mistaken here. Would I ever have said these things if you weren't going to die? I'm not really sure. I do know, though, that I want you with me as often as possible, no matter what!"

"You spoke of children earlier. How do they fit into this?"

"Our children will be part of a team that will try to save you, in time, Keitaro. I don't know how many mothers will have to bear your children in the future, even after you die. But there still will have to be many children around of yours to be eventually be part of that team I just mentioned here, just the same."

"What?" asked Keitaro.

"You will be the father of at least thirty children, if not more. I will be the mother to at least a few of them myself, and the other girls, at least, will too."

"And Haruka?" asked Keitaro, from the floor.

"She will not have any, even as a surrogate carrier, by you. She, however, will help take care of your children by us, at least," answered Shinobu, lending him her hand so he could stand well enough.

"How do you know all this, Shinobu?"

"I had a brief vision of some sort while you were conversing with us earlier, Keitaro. That's how I know these things here. Not all of your children will be test-tube babies, though. You should know what that means by now, I hope," said Shinobu, as she watched him consider the obvious implications of what she'd just said here, quite obviously enough.

"Naru is going to blast me for sure, Shinobu, if she catches me doing that with anybody, you know."

"No, she won't, Senpai, if you're married to the one or ones you're doing such things with. Yes, you will be married to at least me, Mutsumi, Motoko, Kitsune, Kaolla, and Naru, if not others as well, in the near future. And all of us will be married to you at the same time, for that matter."

"What do you think of that?"

"Truthfully, I want you all to myself. But you belong to us all now. Also, I fully realize this, no matter how much I might prefer otherwise, Kei-kun. If they wish to be with you however situations then warrant, though, I have no right to keep them from you, if they don't do anything to bring harm on you willingly, I think. But for now, at least, I have to start getting lunch ready, and you must pack for your trip around the world before school begins again in September, it being about mid-June now."

"As you wish, Shinobu. Call me when lunch is ready, then."

"Agreed, my beloved." Then the two parted, and went either to the kitchen or their room as their situation currently warranted for each of them. They didn't see each other again, by the way, until then, at least, of course.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Shinobu and Keitaro were conversing in private with each other in the living room, Kitsune was in her own room staring at all the mess in it, even all the bottles of various alcoholic beverages she'd collected from all over the world. Whether those bottles were empty, were full, or were somewhere in between, she especially stared at them all. She said, eventually, "I'm going to miss that guy, clumsy as he is. It's not going to be quite as fun without him here," to them, as she began collecting those bottles into several boxes or cases of various kinds. "There's a lot I'm going to have to do now to make up for all the stunts I've tried to pull on him before. Or at least try to, anyway. Many of them were tried because I just couldn't stay away from booze or gambling, among other things. Well, things are most certainly going to change for me from now on. And there's no time like the present to start, as many people might often say. I am turning over a new leaf, so to speak, once and for all. Without Keitaro here, I'm not going to party any longer like I once did, for sure. Rather ironic, I think, for him to finally achieve his long-time goal to get into Toudai with Naru and Turtle Lady, while I've been just loafing around, not doing much for at least as long as he's been here with us all." She soon began carrying those boxes or cases of bottles to just outside Motoko's door, and then knocked on it as quietly as she could, once they were all there.

"Who's there?"

"Kitsune, Motoko. I need a favor, if I may, from you," said Mitsune.

"Enter, then. Make it quick, please, Konno-san. I was meditating on things here at least a bit as well."

Kitsune wasted no time in doing so, and sat on a certain cushion that Motoko indicated to her now. When she did so, Motoko asked, "What is this favor you request of me, Konno-san?"

"I wish you to dispose of all my bottles of alcoholic beverages one way or another. I never want to see any more such bottles again, if and whenever I can possibly ever avoid it at all, in fact."

"Is this because of Urashima's urging?"

"No, he doesn't even know about this yet. And with any luck, he never needs to, I think."

"You're quite concerned for his well-being, it seems, Konno-san."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. I'm no saint, myself, but he doesn't deserve this, no matter what any of us have or haven't done with each other while he's been with us all like he has."

"No, I don't suppose he does. I was much surprised by Shinobu's taking command of our group here. I would have thought Naru would have done so first, seeing as they are the closest to him here, if memory serves me well enough here. We will have to see if she can lead us well enough in our quest, then, Konno-san."

"There's nothing she wouldn't do for him, if she possibly could, Motoko. She loves him very much indeed. And it will break her heart when he leaves us, no doubt. Most of the rest of us may not even deserve his love, but Shinobu and Turtle Lady certainly do, I'm now quite sure."

"Yes, I am much in the wrong for various things that I've done to him in the past. I myself would not wish this sort of thing on even my worst enemy, I believe. It will be quite strange not being able to take out my frustrations on him any longer, of course. But if my service to him, of whatever kind whatsoever, is sufficiently acceptable to him, I will seek to atone as best as I can for all my unjust deeds against him by giving it to him as needed. I will guard him with my own life, if I must and if I can, then."

"How will you do that?"

"I can't tell you at present, at least, if I'll ever be able to, someday, Konno-san. Where are your bottles now?"

"In the hall outside your door. I don't care how you get rid of them for me, if you possibly can. But please just do it, and don't tell me how, for I don't really want to ever know how you did so."

"Very well, I shall not, when and if I do. How soon before Shinobu might have lunch ready?"

"I don't know, Motoko. But I'm sure she'll let us all know soon enough, of course."

"Acknowledged. Now if I may have my privacy again, I'll get back to my meditations here, Kitsune."

"Just don't forget to come down for lunch later," said Kitsune, as she then rose from her seat and began heading for Motoko's door.

"Of course, Kitsune." A swell of tears suddenly threatened to well up in her eyes, yet behind Kitsune's back, as she said that here.

Kitsune caught a split-second hitch to Motoko's words, and said, "We'll find those cowards who did this, and then we'll all make them pay as needed, Motoko. You can be quite sure of that, of course. No matter how long or what it takes. You know we will. Nobody hurts him without our consent and gets away with it, if we can possibly avoid it at all. We all really love him, you see. We may not all love him in the exact same ways, but you know for sure that we all really do. If it means I have to give up alcohol to avenge him, or save him, then so be it. His safety is very important to us all!"

"I hope so, Konno-san. I really hope so. He may be so many weird things, and do so many such things, but he is now an unforgettable part of all our lives now. My honor will not rest until he is avenged and saved as needed, no matter what it takes or whoever most wins his love, I promise you that here, in strictest possible confidence, you see."

"So noted, Motoko." Without another word, Mitsune then left, bypassing the stacked boxes or cases of bottles as if they were no longer even in existence. She soon went to her room and began rather thoroughly cleaning it here. She was still working on it when Shinobu eventually knocked on her door to let her know lunch was now ready for everyone at the Hinata Apartments, by the way. When Shinobu entered, after getting Kitsune's okay, she was quite surprised indeed to see a mostly-clean room for Mitsune's room, for the obvious reasons here.

"Did I come to the right room? This is not as I remember your room, Kitsune. Where are all your bottles, for instance?"

"Gone forever, I hope, Shinobu-hime. I no longer will seek comfort of any kind with them, considering our current situation. They've gotten me into such trouble before, and a certain manager we all love quite often into it as well. If things would have stayed as they have happened to be before, they might still be here. And you never would likely have spoken up like you did earlier, I think."

"No, I don't think I would have. At least not for quite some length of time yet, anyway, Kitsune. But something major changed with me once I knew just how serious his medical condition now is. He is the best thing that I've ever had the pleasure of knowing in my life, and I would do ANYTHING for him, if I possibly could, to save his life. Even if it costs me mine, in fact."

"I hope we can save him somehow, hime-sama."

"So do I, Kitsune. So do I. In the meantime, even journalists and chefs need to eat too, of course."

"That they do, Shinobu-hime. That they do, for sure. I think I might just hit the baths tonight as well, for that matter," said Kitsune, as both young women left Konno's room here in very short order.

* * *

"Blast it all to Hades and back! Why did that guy get zapped like he did? He's always been able to bounce back after getting blasted before, somehow! What hit him, and who did it? He didn't deserve this, no matter how crazy things have been for us all since he got here quite some length of time ago!" cried Naru, as she tried to make at least some sufficient sense of how things had now changed for everyone now at the Hinata Apartments, and most likely on a permanent basis for the worse. She wanted to destroy something. But, for once, Su had somehow managed to collect al the breakable and destroyable items on the Hinata Apartments' grounds that Naru was likely to target for releasing her anger on here.

Mutsumi watched her rage in her room for at least a little while, seeing an almost sun-like fury in Naru's eyes as she did so. "I have absolutely no idea on how to help save him well enough yet, Naru-chan. But if a cure can possibly be found well enough, hopefully we can find it and use it in time, of course."

"I don't want him to die in the first place, Mutsumi! He's grown to be an irreplaceable part of my life, and it will be lonely without him in it."

"You're also thinking of how to atone for all the unjust things you've done to him since he got here, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. It will take a major effort indeed from me to change my ways of behaving around him, and I may have to do certain things that I haven't been known to do deliberately. But if it somehow makes the rest of his life go as best as possible, then I feel I have to do what I can to help him and to atone for all the unjust poundings I've ever given him before, I think, Mutsumi."

"You love him too, don't you?" asked Mutsumi.

"Yes, I suppose I do. But it's rather ironic, I suppose, for me to do so here and now. He has always tried very hard to treat me with the respect I deserve, at least, if not even more respect than that. Yet, I've never really done the same for him, it seems. Why else would he ever do that, if he didn't actually love me now, or love me back then? It's a real shame that I never really realized that or really realized that I've actually come to somehow love him as well until now. Especially now that he has a certain death sentence on his own life now, at least, if not permanently."

"So what are you going to do, then?"

"Do whatever I possibly can to avenge him, when needed, and make up for lost time, while he's still here, quite obviously enough. Those cowards will all wish they had never messed with us by the time we're through with them well enough, I hope!"

"So no more unjust poundings of him, then?"

"That's right, Mu-chan. But these aliens have not yet seen the wrath of any of us yet, you know. And they had best be ready to fight, once we then find all the guilty parties well enough, of course. Nobody attacks those people who are close enough to me and gets away with it, if I can possibly help it, needlessly enough. I claim Vendetta on them all, no matter when and where they might be, until he is avenged and saved somehow, for sure!"

"Just try not to get yourself killed by them too soon, Naru. Shinobu and Motoko will really need your help on this new mutual quest of ours, you see. And if you're dead, you'll not be able to help Keitaro, much less anyone else, in fact."

"True enough, Mu-chan. True enough. Shinobu really spoke up earlier, didn't she?"

"Yes, Naru, she did. She adores him. And it's about time she actually did so here, I think. Nobody else here besides Keitaro hurts more than she does whenever something sufficiently unfair happens to him. Yes, he's a lot like me, in that we're not necessarily all that coordinated, mobility-wise, at least. But she couldn't take such things any longer here without actually speaking out. Especially with Keitaro now having a currently-uncurable disease. She will miss him most of all, between us all, when he's gone, I know for a fact. She is not ever going to be the exact same Shinobu we've all come to care for over time at least until he is avenged and saved well enough somehow, I'm quite sure. So we had best follow her lead as best as we can from now on here. If she needs our help, at times, then we'd best give it to her as best as we can, whenever we can. I know you hoped to lead our quest here, and you still might. But she claimed leadership of our group without a doubt, and we must follow her lead, no matter where it might take us."

"Are you sure she knows what to do yet?"

"No, of course not. But I'm willing to let her lead, if she possibly can. That's seeing the fact that nobody else put a sufficient enough claim on it as well."

Shinobu then knocked on Naru's door, and Naru said she could enter, of course. "Mutsumi and Naru, lunch is ready. Also, I unexpectedly heard your last comment, Mutsumi. I appreciate your vote of support, however uncertain it may be. And I promise you both that I will do all I possibly can to see that we all are somehow able to avenge and/or somehow save Keitaro from permanent death due to those vile cowards who attacked him as they did. This is PERSONAL now, no thanks to them!"

The three of them soon left Naru's room and headed for the dining area for lunch. Much of it was consumed in a rather subdued tone, with not much conversation being shared at it. Not even the usually-bubbly Su was much in the mood for it here and now, for that matter. It was like much, if not all, of the life had been sucked unwillingly out of the residents for the Hinata Apartments, by the way. When lunch was over, everyone soon left the table behind, and went off to wherever their moods then struck them to go. Shinobu quietly dealt with the dirty dishes and leftovers from lunch as needed, and then fled, as quickly as she could, to her own room in the Hinata Apartments. Once there, she locked her door, flopped down on her bed, and began weeping and sobbing and crying as if there was no tomorrow, so to speak. The weeping was so loud, in fact, that it could be not only heard, but also detected, somehow, from at least Tokyo's distance away from the Hinata Apartments, if not even farther away than that. And it was weeping of such a sort that those who heard it would never be able to forget it, no matter how long they might live after hearing it, without a doubt.

She remained in her room all alone crying for at least one or two hours, if not longer, until she was as cried-out as she could be at the current time. Once that was done, she began preparing herself to make supper for everyone at the Hinata Apartments, as she most often would for every single person there. She soon decided that she would do all she could to help Keitaro keep and maintain his strength whenever while he was still alive and with everyone else, of course. And she began to think about who should do what duties, and how often they should be done, when they were done by the various tenants at the Apartments here, for that matter. For she'd not want Keitaro to die very soon after the current date here of June 10, 1993, quite obviously enough.

Shinobu left her room again at about 5:30 pm or so for the kitchen. On her way there, she saw Naru holding a picture of everyone in their main social circle, and trying not to cry at all as she did so here. It was a picture taken somewhere on Parakelese Island somewhat recently. The picture had several people in it besides Keitaro and the tenants of the Hinata Apartments, of course. And Naru was seated front and center in a row consisting of, from left to right, as an observer might view the scene pictured, Kaolla, Motoko, Naru, Mitsune, and Shinobu. While the back row had Haruka, Mutsumi, Keitaro, Sarah, and Seta in it. In the picture, Keitaro hade his hands resting gently on Naru's shoulders, while Mutsumi had one arm on Keitaro's shoulders and one on Haruka's. Also, Haruka, for once, was not smoking, but had her own hands resting on Kaolla's shoulders much like Keitaro had his on Naru's. As she held some bananas, Kaolla was particularly bubbly in the picture. Motoko smiled a half-happy, half-anxious smile, for several flying turtles were hovering somewhat close to her at the time the picture had been taken, and she'd been struggling very mightily to not draw her often-handy sword and seek to drive them away from her. Naru herself had a somewhat dreamy look on her face as she'd smiled with Keitaro's hands on her shoulders. Kitsune herself had a smile of rather considerable amusement as she sneaked a brief sidelong glance at Motoko's semi-obvious discomfort here. Shinobu herself had Tamago on her head, a sketchbook in her hands, and a drawing utensil behind one ear. Seta had a camera with a zoom lens attached barely sticking out of a camera bag hanging on his left shoulder, a notebook in his left hand, and a pen in his right, while smiling a mischievous grin on his face. And as for Sarah, she, for once, wasn't trying to play any tricks on Keitaro, but was smiling a goofy smile as she held a sign saying, "Come again to Parakelese Island for a real adventure, fun, and love, if you dare!" That sign completed the current look of the picture, in fact.

"Naru, I see you have a picture of our trip to Parakelese Island, if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes, Shinobu, I do. This is so unfair! How long ago was he infected? And when did he know this well enough?"

"He was infected about nine months ago, remember? You must have forgotten his telling us that earlier, while we were all otherwise occupied, it seems. He didn't know this until this morning, for that matter, after someone called for him right after breakfast. I accidentally overheard him as I was heading up to the roof to do laundry. He said nothing to me at all, and didn't know I had, if I'm not too mistaken here. He then went about his usual business until about 10:30 am or so around town and here, and then went to his room, evidently, to do some packing. You should know the rest by now, of course, I think."

"Yes, I suppose I do, Shinobu. We had so much good going for us. Why this, now?"

"I don't know. But whatever beings did this had better hope we all never find out, I think. Because if we do, we may not give them much, if any, mercy at all when we find and encounter them at all, you know."

"So, now that you've essentially stepped up to lead us, Shinobu, how long do you think this quest of ours will last?"

"No idea. But I have this feeling that there are still at least a few secrets that Keitaro hasn't shared with us all yet, for whatever reason or reasons. Like he may not yet be even aware of them enough, for example," said Shinobu.

"I suppose so, Shinobu. But this situation still doesn't please me one bit at all, obviously enough. One other thing, though, before you go start to make supper, if I may?"

"Yes, Naru?"

"This is actually a two-part question, come to think of it, Shinobu."

"Go ahead."

"Are you actually going to wear anything outside later, and whether or not you do, do you want us not to?"

"Wear or don't wear something, as you each might wish. As for me, you'll have to wait and find out for yourselves. I can't tell you for sure yet, for I myself don't know if I will wear something there later just yet, Naru. But he is still not to be deliberately harmed by any of us, or else, just the same. Is that clear, crystal clear?"

"Yes, perfectly clear."

"Good. Now I must start making supper. We will avenge and save him, if we can, Naru. You can be quite sure of that, you know."

One hour later, more or less, supper was sufficiently ready for everyone's consumption. By 7, then, everyone was down in the dining area for it, after Shinobu had notified everyone else of that fact well enough. And they were all in their usual seats at the table, for that matter.

As lunch had basically gone earlier, so did most, if not all, of supper. At least until Keitaro suddenly said, "What would you say to letting a good-sized group of temporary tenants come here in the near future for at least a little while? I just remembered Haruka telling me that at least a dozen or so young people want to get away from various people that they now know for at least a little while, so that they can enjoy themselves on a summer vacation of sorts."

Motoko considered this for a moment, then said, "I take it males will be part of this group that you're now referring to, Keitaro."

"Yes, to be totally honest, they would be, if that is sufficiently all right with you all, Motoko."

"I see. Where would they stay?" asked Su and Motoko together.

"The Annex, until a men's dorm is sufficiently constructed on the grounds. True, the Annex has rarely been accessible, for a curse was uttered against our clan long ago, and only a very rare percentage of our clan's members have been able to defy that curse since it was uttered so long ago. These people may help to break that curse, I think, if I'm not too mistaken here."

Naru said, "Ordinarily, I'd be quite opposed to having more than one male staying long-term on these grounds, as we all know quite well by now, Keitaro. But I will not object to the idea of them staying here, as long as they behave themselves well enough while staying here, given our now-changed circumstances, just so you know this here quite well enough."

"When do you expect those people to be here, then, Keitaro?" asked Mitsune.

"Within a week, if not sooner. It depends on just how soon they all can actually get to here quite well enough from where they now are, it seems. It could be tomorrow, or it could be a week from now. They weren't quite sure just how soon they could get here well enough, you see."

Mutsumi asked, "What do you know of them so far, then?"

"Most of them are certainly teenagers, while a few of them are now college-aged. Also, there will be at least one married couple here, eventually, but they will come somewhat later after their two school-aged children are here for a while. For the most part, the new tenants will be under the age of 25, at most, if not even younger than that."

Shinobu asked, "What else do you know of them?"

"Well, at least one of those people is good at both martial arts and cooking to at least some considerable degree. I've heard that she may even want to own her own restaurant someday, if at all possible. Maybe you two could put your heads together and come up with some spectacular recipes between the two of you that nobody's ever had the chance to have before, in fact, Shinobu."

"What else do you know about them, Keitaro?" asked Motoko.

"Some people think that she might be a potential Olympian of some sort, if she ever tried to get on one of our Olympic teams any time soon, Motoko. Have you ever heard the name of Makoto Kino, by any chance?"

"Vaguely, I think. It seems to me that she has a well-earned reputation for being a rather fierce fighter when she feels people are being picked on unfairly, from what my sources in Tokyo tell me well enough, if I'm not too mistaken here, Keitaro."

"Doesn't that remind you at least a little bit about how you and Naru have often treated me in the past, by any chance, Motoko?"

"Yes, it does. My sister has told me time and time again that men are not necessarily a perverted bunch of people in this world, as we have often claimed. You have been, much more than not, a man with honor, when it comes to us, to be completely honest with you here, Keitaro. Most men would probably have been killed or driven away from here by us already. But you have stayed, even when you haven't deserved our rather punishing treatment that most of us have repeatedly given you in the past. I wish to know why, if I don't already, please. Would you please tell us why you've stayed so long after such treatment, if it's not too much of a problem for you here?"

"I think Shinobu knows the answer to that question. Do you wish to answer it, Shinobu? Or should I?"

"Keitaro has stayed so long, girls, because he very deeply cares for us, and he now considers us to be a family that he's never had before like he always has wanted in his life. He wanted to have even more siblings than just his stepsister Kanako, you see, but he doesn't have any other siblings of any kind. So he essentially considers us all part of his family now in his life. And he always will, it seems to me here and now. He knows now quite well that his time may be increasingly short, and he feels that he has only a certain amount of time to achieve whatever other goals he might now have in his life, for that matter. Such as travel the world at least once, for example. After the people he spoke of just now get here, we soon will leave for a while to go on a bit of a round-the-world trip, while he still has the ability to do just that well enough. Then we will return here, and things will go as our respective circumstances might permit, of course."

"Who will be handling things here while we're away on that trip then, Shinobu-hime?" asked Kitsune, with a rather questioning look on her face as she did so.

"Haruka will be handling things here. Seta will temporarily handle things at the Tea Shop while we're away. Although Haruka is rather apprehensive indeed about the very idea of Seta doing so at all here, aren't you, Haruka?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. But since Grandma Hina and/or Kanako aren't here, and aren't likely to be here for at least the foreseeable future, that's the way things will evidently have to be. For the Apartments will have to be taken care of while you are off on your trip and others are here instead, of course, Shinobu-chan. I don't like it, but I can't handle both the Tea Shop and substitute-manage the Apartments at the same time, I think. However, if Seta runs my shop into the ground while I'm here, I will be very displeased, quite obviously enough."

"Of course you will, Haruka. Of course you will. For it's like the Tea Shop is your baby, so to speak, and it has been for quite some time, if I'm not too mistaken here. Nobody messes with your baby and gets away with it well enough, if you can help it, right?"

"Correct, Shinobu-chan. That's one of my most favorite places in this world to be in, for sure, and nobody at all ever somehow messes with it needlessly and gets away with it if I can possibly help it well enough," answered Haruka.

"So when do you expect us to leave on this round-the-world thing, Keitaro?" asked Shinobu.

"Probably no later than July 2 or 3, I think."

"And where would we go first, perhaps, Keitaro?" asked Motoko.

"To America, to experience the 4th of July there, I think. Then wherever else our minds might lead us to go, while our money and time still both hold out well enough, for that matter."

"But we won't have much time to get to know at least a bit about them, most likely, if we leave not too long after they get here, right?" asked Mutsumi.

"Sure we will, I think. We will want to be back within about two weeks or so after we leave, if I'm not mistaken, though, for they should somehow actually have both dorms both renovated and/or constructed well enough by then to let us all see their completed work quite easily enough. We need to give them time to work on certain things here so that we will have much more room available to us here in the Apartments, among other things, girls," said Keitaro.

"How will they compensate us for letting them stay here, then, if I might ask, Keitaro?"

"They will not charge us for any of the typical construction expenses that they most likely would ordinarily charge their customers, for one thing here, Aunt Haruka. I know, I know, I shouldn't call you Aunt Haruka, but it's probably much too late for me to change that particular habit of mine now in my life, it seems. Also, they will break the curse for free on the Annex, for another thing, so that it is sufficiently accessible from now on by the necessary people. As for the rest of their compensation for us letting them stay here, I will mention it to you outside, after we hit the hot springs together, if that's all right with you all."

Naru said, "You should tell us all now, Keitaro."

"Not yet. I want to tell you this in a bit, but not just yet. First, let's get changed for time there, everyone, if you all really wish to find out more about the rest of their compensation for being able to stay here for at least a little while, okay, girls?"

Shinobu considered this for a few moments in relative silence, at least for the most part, and then said, "Very well, Keitaro. If you don't want to tell us what else they will do for us to compensate us well enough for letting them stay in the Apartments for a while just yet, then so be it. But please don't wait too long, of course. For we all really do need to know here, so that we can then decide just how things should be here well enough before they come, if at all possible, for all the obvious reasons, you know."

"I promise, girls. Just give me about another half an hour to an hour, at least, and then I'll let you know what else they will be willing to give us for letting them stay here, okay?"

"No tricks, Urashima?" asked Motoko.

"No tricks, Motoko-chan," agreed Keitaro.

"Then we'll see you at 8:45 pm, more or less, if at all possible, my beloved. Please don't be late, if you can possibly avoid it!"

"I'll be there by then, if I possibly can, of course, Shinobu-chan," said Keitaro. Not long after that, then, everyone dispersed throughout the Apartments or off to the Tea Shop for a little while, for the obvious reasons here. Shinobu and Su quickly cleared away all the dirty dishes, et cetera, from the table in the dining area as needed, while everyone else quickly hurried to get ready for their time in the hot springs with each other later.

Promptly at 8:45, then, everyone arrived in the hot springs wearing swimsuits as appropriate for their genders, for they'd all decided to cover up this particular time in them, for once. Keitaro wore a mostly red suit with white and black piping on the sides, while the women all decided to wear assorted one-piece swimsuits here, so as not to hopefully reveal too much skin needlessly while in the hot springs with him here.

When everyone was quite well-settled in the baths as they saw fit, Keitaro soon passed around several laminated pictures with at least some basic information about each of the prospective new tenants for the Apartments on the back of each such picture. The information on the back of each picture gave their names, dates of birth, and other essential data about each of them, including such data as their personal interests, for example. Everyone took at least a few minutes to familiarize themselves with the information provided about the prospective new tenants, of course, and then Naru asked, "You promised us all more information about how they would be compensating us for their staying here, Keitaro. Could we please have it now, if that's all right with you, then?"

"In a minute, Naru. If any of you are holding anything right now, though, I suggest you all put whatever you are down some place so that you don't drop it, girls. For what I have to tell you will be very surprising, if not very shocking, to you all here, I think."

"It isn't bad, is it, Urashima?" asked Motoko.

"Depends on what your definition of bad may be, Motoko. Let's just say that things may be quite unexpected here to at least some degree, in terms of what I am about to say here, okay?"

"Get on with it, then, Keitaro, please," said Mitsune.

"You are already quite well-aware of the fact that I was zapped by aliens and infected with something that has no known cure currently, are you not, ladies?" All of them soon nodded.

"After the doctors and I learned this well enough, but before we all learned that there most definitely would be no known way to cure what I'm currently infected with, they soon told me to start trying to ensure that I'd somehow be actually able to have potential descendants of my own. That was just in case whatever I had been infected with might eventually render me sterile somehow." The women all took at least a little while to consider this here, of course, and then Shinobu soon motioned to him that he should continue speaking here. He soon continued, "Five days later, I began visiting a specific genetics research center, and began rather thoroughly exploring the idea of having my sperm frozen, as a potential insurance policy, if you will, against my potentially permanent sterility from my current medical condition. The following week, I then began having my sperm frozen as needed, and stored in a brand-new wing of that same research center that they'd recently built for themselves. This particular genetic research center is funded through a foundation headed by one of the prospective tenants for the Apartments, after it was secretly left to him by his parents in their wills when they'd been killed in a car accident when he was only six years old. A semi-secret board of trustees that had been especially well-checked-out and very carefully-selected by his parents then ran it until he came of sufficient age to actually run it himself, and one of those former trustees is the mother of Ami Mizuno, who is now a prospective temporary tenant of here. Ami is quite aware now of that fact, by the way. Ami's mother is also one of the various doctors that tried to help me out as best as she could when I ended up in the hospital after actually being zapped like I was, for that matter. And her rather intelligent daughter periodically helps her mother with certain medical-related matters that she may actually encounter with her various patients. It wasn't intentional, at all, but Ami's mother, in a very rare bit of forgetfulness, left something rather heavily related to my case in almost-plain sight where virtually anyone else might be able to see it well enough, in fact. Fortunately for me, and for those close enough to me, Ami found it first, somehow, and returned it to her mother just as soon as she possibly could so well enough then. But while she was still waiting for the right time to do so, she studied that thing quite closely for some time, and did some secret investigation of her own in the meantime. It was actually Ami who found out that there was no currently-known cure for what I now actually have here. And she soon rather secretly relayed that information to her mother, who then soon passed it to me, as of earlier today. I received that same information, and a good deal of other information, from her. And then things went from there as you all probably know by now here, everyone. Ami tried to hide the well-hidden information she'd gathered from several of her very close friends during that secret investigation of hers. But she accidentally let at least some of it slip during a bit of 'Truth or Dare' during a slumber party at one of her best friends' residences. One thing led to another, in time, quite obviously enough, and word soon got back to the head of the foundation that runs the genetic research center. He very soon afterward began using his personal connections to see if he could help me out as best as he can, once he himself found out enough about my current medical condition here. Hence the good-sized group of prospective tenants. Especially after his connections began trying to use their own personal connections to actually help me out here as well, for that matter. Hopefully, enough people will now actually be able to help find a cure for what I now have. And for what any number of other people might actually now have too, if they actually were close enough to me to be infected as well when I was zapped by those aliens like I was. For there were quite a few people near me then, if I remember things well enough here and now."

"What's that have to do with anything, my beloved?" asked Shinobu.

"I have had dozens of sperm samples taken and stored there ever since I first began having my sperm frozen. They can freeze human eggs too, by the way. And often do. This research center is a leading center of genetic research in the world, and it also often helps people who want children to have them, if they can't necessarily have them through the normal way of having them. Or even if they can, they often still do. Some couples are unable, for whatever reason or reasons, to reproduce in the usual fashion, and so they often come to places of this nature, in hopes that they might perhaps be able to have children of their own, you see, Shinobu."

"Where is this genetic research center, Keitaro?" asked Mutsumi.

"It is in Azabu Juuban, Mutsumi. I am due within a week to go there again for another round of sperm donation. Most specifically, I will be going there tomorrow, it seems to me, if memory serves me well enough here. I generally go there on Fridays, and tomorrow is evidently a Friday, you see."

"I see. And would you like us to come there, then, Kei-kun?"

"Only if you each want to, of course, Mutsumi."

The young women then all conversed for at least a little while with each other, and as they did so here, a strange woman soon appeared rather suddenly indeed as if in a vision rather near where Keitaro was now in the hot springs. That rather strange woman was now wearing a long lavender dress and a tiara on her forehead, and said, "I see you must be enjoying yourself quite considerably here, sweetheart. Do you like being with several of my guardians now at least a little, by any chance?"

"Who are you, madam?"

"Why, I'm your future bride, don't you remember? I'm Princess Serenity, Prince Daniel."

"I'm not Prince Daniel, madam. I know nobody by that name now in my life."

"Oh, dear. Oh, my. This is so not very good at all here! Denise, I'm really going to get you, when I eventually find you, for sure! You played a trick on me, it seems! Wherever you are, you'd best hide, I think! I'll see you again later, perhaps. In another world, then, maybe, young man."

"Huh? I don't understand, madam."

"We'll clear this up later, I think, when we get enough of a chance to do that well enough, young man. In the meantime, feel free to enjoy yourself with all these fine young ladies here, if you please, then." Princess Serenity soon disappeared just as suddenly as she'd appeared in a vision to Keitaro here. [Author's Note: This Princess Serenity is not the Princess Serenity that Prince Endymion falls in love with, but the Princess Serenity who was actually her eventual mother on the Moon.] After she did so, Keitaro wondered who she was, of course. He considered the somewhat brief vision for at least a few moments in relative silence until he soon felt a very gentle hand on his right shoulder and saw a pair of purple eyes looking right at him from about two feet away. Of course, they were Shinobu's, without a doubt.

"Who was that rather strange lady, my beloved?"

"I have absolutely no idea, although she somehow strangely feels at least a little familiar to me now, for some yet-unknown reason. I have no idea why, mind you, but she still does. Though I don't think I've ever seen her before. Or at least not for a very long time, anyway."

"An old playmate, perhaps?" asked Naru.

"I don't think so, for I only remember that I played with you and Mutsumi when we were all very young, near here, Naru," said Keitaro.

"Yes, I seem to recall that fact here, Keitaro. Then who might she be, by any chance?"

"Perhaps we'll find out sometime later, somehow. But I don't know just how long we might have to wait to do that now, of course. There must be some reason why she called me 'Prince Daniel,' though, quite obviously enough."

"I suppose so. Now how else are they going to compensate us for staying here, if I might ask you this again, Keitaro?"

"They will donate their professional medical services to us as needed for as long as it actually takes to find a suitable enough cure for what I now evidently have, at least when it comes to my own personal medical care. And they also will provide free or reduced-cost medical care at least that long for any and all children that may come from me later in any way whatsoever, and their mothers, if and whenever possible, for that matter, Naru. Whether it's through the usual way or through artificial means of reproduction, they still will do so. As for the medical care for any of our various known associates, they will provide it free or at reduced costs, if and whenever possible, as well."

"I see. That sounds reasonable enough. Don't you ladies agree?" asked Naru.

All soon nodded, in very short order, once all that information registered quite well enough in all of their respective heads here. Haruka said, "Of course, I will not actually be able to have children by Keitaro, even as a surrogate carrier, it seems, due to the simple fact that we are so closely related, genetically speaking, girls."

"Yes, that's so, Aunt Haruka. But you can still be a den mother of sorts to them, I think, just the same, after they might get here, you know."

"I suppose that would be all right, Keitaro."

Everyone conversed for a while longer about any number of other things, whether pertinent to Keitaro's current circumstances or not, then. Eventually, though, all of them felt that they'd spent enough time in the hot springs on the current night, and they left them behind one or two at a time as the mood struck them to do so here and now. Shinobu and Keitaro were the last two of them to leave the hot springs here, in fact.

Shinobu said, "I was wondering something here, Keitaro."

"What's that, Shinobu-chan?"

"Does this perhaps mean that you might have to have children, at least in a surrogate carrier way, with other women besides any of us here, by any chance?"

"Yes, it may very well mean that. Why do you ask?"

"Because of what you may obviously have to do with them, of course, to have any of those children you'll need to father so that we might be able to save you."

"Well, let me make you a promise, Shinobu, if I may."

"And that promise is?"

"If I have to do THAT with them, I will first marry them, for the obvious reasons. I will not fornicate with them, in any case whatsoever. I know that most people would only have one wife at a time in their respective lives, but there's no way that only one of you girls will evidently be able to bear me thirty children just by yourselves. So I will have to marry more than one woman to have that many children later, for sure, of course."

"And those women would have to include us, no doubt. Naru wouldn't want you to leave her out, if it could possibly be avoided at all, no doubt."

"Yes, I suppose that's quite true enough here. And Motoko and Kitsune typically follow Naru's lead, and Su normally follows Motoko, as you know. As for Mutsumi and you, you both each follow Naru's lead, generally, except when it comes to pounding me for supposed 'perverse acts,' Shinobu. With you rather unexpectedly standing up for me now like you actually did, I think things have changed around here quite considerably for at least some unknown length of time, if not permanently. You have now laid a very definite claim on Hinata Apartments' leadership, at least when it comes to the tenants here, it seems. And you spoke so uncharacteristically bold when you did so that the others were perhaps quite stunned, and quite unable to manage at least enough courage to contest your claim on it here, for that matter. By the way, I was wondering when you'd finally do so, and rather glad when you did so. It's made my day quite a bit better, even if it didn't seem so here for quite a while, just so you know this well enough here."

"I would like to kiss you, Keitaro. But here is not a good time or place to do that well enough, I think. I know I'm only 15, and that you're 22, but I still want to, just the same."

"Then we'll wait as long as we have to in order for you to feel ready enough to do that, Shinobu. There'll be other times yet where we might be able to do just that, and more, I think, if that's what we so choose. Good night, then." Keitaro then left Shinobu alone again in the hot springs, with a brief, yet gentle, brushing of his hands across both of her facial cheeks while he also briefly planted a pleasant kiss on her currently-bare forehead. Without another word or look to her, then, he was gone from the hot springs in very short order. She blushed very briefly and very red indeed at the thought of his very beautiful lips on her now-bare forehead and his gentle hands on her precious facial cheeks, and soon retired to her own room in the Apartments from those very same hot springs here as well. By 11 pm, then, she and everyone else within at least a mile of her room in the Apartments' rather good-sized complex was quite soundly asleep in their respective beds, in fact. And so they all then slept, with them all not likely to wake again anywhere there before 5:30 am or so, at the very earliest, for the obvious reasons, of course.

* * *

Before I forget, _Love Hina_ belongs to Ken Akamatsu and associated parties. _Sailor Moon_ belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and associated parties. All other characters, et cetera, that I am borrowing here for this fan fiction belong to their respective creators and/or owners, of course.

Oh, by the way, Major Mike Powell III, among any number of other LH fanfiction readers here, I know you will most likely read this story. And if you people do read it, and decide to review it, please don't refer to girls like Naru, for instance, by using a certain term that can also mean "female canines," either in the singular or in the plural. I'll be very upset indeed if you do, and I might very well disregard any comments you then might make here about this story. I do not take very well to any and/or all bad language, for one thing, from anyone, if I can possibly ever avoid doing so in my life, so please do keep any comments of yours that you might make about this story to perhaps about a T-ish level, at worst, and preferably no more than perhaps about a K+-ish level, okay? And just to be reasonably fair to everyone else who might also eventually read it here, I wish that you all would do the same thing here as well, for that matter, if you leave me any comments on this story of mine here.

I will gladly accept any reviews and/or comments that are rather clean, rather courteous, and rather constructive, from anyone who might read and review this story and/or sufficiently related ones, of course, people. But either I'll disregard reviews and/or comments that don't sufficiently meet those criteria, or I might use the provided flames to dispose of certain other things in my own mortal life, for that matter. Just so you all know this here quite well enough. Please do try as hard as you possibly can to keep all of the above things in mind as you all might then decide whether or not to comment at any time on this story of mine here, people. Until next time, of course, I'll close this now. TUS out.


	2. Chapter Two: New Tenants Start Arriving

I was thinking about bringing Luna, Artemis, and several other characters in during the events of this chapter, but ultimately decided to wait to bring them into the story. Perhaps I'll bring Luna and Artemis, to name at least a few characters, in when I write Chapter Three. But just not yet. You will, however, see Sango, at least, brought into the story in this chapter here, just the same, people.

The Senshi's male allies will enter the story perhaps in Chapter Three or Four, after they sufficiently finish whatever business they may have to deal with up to that time well enough in and around Tokyo, most likely. In the meantime, though, several other characters are going to enter the story here, and things will start to pick up much more once enough of the necessary people are present here in it sufficiently well.

With no further ado, then, people, I hereby give you Chapter Two of _The One You Miss Most_, and I hope you all really enjoy it enough to try to give me some rather clean, rather courteous, and rather constructive reviews for it, of course. TUS out!

* * *

Chapter Two: New Tenants Start Arriving

* * *

The following day, after breakfast, everyone prepared for their trip to the Azabu Juuban part of Tokyo, especially Keitaro, so that he could go to the Universal Bureau of Genomic Exploration and Storage, AKA UBGES for short, as he had planned to do that very day. When he got there, one of the researchers there said, "Welcome back, Urashima-san. I take it you're here for your weekly contribution of samples, as usual."

"Yes, Macanus-san, I am. Are Mizuno-sensei and the necessary others all quite ready for me to come there now, by any chance at all?" asked Keitaro of a man apparently in his middle to late forties. This man was a man with tanned skin, black hair, and brown eyes, and the general look of someone who might possibly be from somewhere in North Africa. Specifically from the area somewhere around ancient Carthage, perhaps, more or less. Or at least from somewhat near where ancient Carthage once existed, anyway.

"Yes, they are expecting you, but you're still quite a bit earlier than normal for your usual appointment here, Urashima-san. They're mostly in a meeting now, though, so it'll probably be a little while before they can get to you like they normally do."

"Well, several of these young women wanted to learn more about what I've often been doing since I was infected like I was some time ago. So they all decided to tag along with me and learn more about things related to genetic research, among other things. Especially Kaolla here, who is rather into things of a scientific and/or mechanical nature, if and whenever possible and desired for her in her own life."

"I see. What do you young women want to know, then, about such things, while Keitaro is waiting to see them here and now? I'd be glad to try to answer any questions that you each might have about things of this nature. I have at least thirty minutes before I have to go to another area of this research center to assist several of my co-workers here, in fact."

The questions soon came at him fairly often from Keitaro's tenants here, and he eventually asked, about that length of time later, "Why don't I have a few of my associates here who are free for at least the time being give you young women a tour of this place? They might be able to better show you and/or better describe things here than I seem to be doing for you all now."

Shinobu thought about that, and then asked, as a nurse came to where they all still were with Keitaro, "What do you think, Senpai? Should we go with them now?"

"Yes, I think you should. But I'm going to have to part from you all for a while now. That's so that I can actually do my usual thing here, it seems. Especially because of the fact that Nurse Himayaka is here to collect me as she often has within twenty or so minutes whenever I've come here for a long enough period of time. It's nearly 9:30 in the morning now. This thing of mine will probably take at least two or three hours, and by that time, you ladies should all have seen at least a good portion of this place here quite well enough, I think, Shinobu. Meet me at the Crown Arcade, then, let's say, at 1:30 pm, if you can. I'll have someone call there if I'm going to be delayed here past 1 pm or so. And before you ask, Nurse Himayaka is the happily-married mother of one of my many female classmates at Toudai, for that matter. So I have absolutely no interest at all in pursuing her romantically here, just so you know, everyone."

"We've never likely been there before, Keitaro," said Naru.

"Nurse Himayaka, is Ami Mizuno-san in today, by any chance?" asked Keitaro of a woman who appeared to be in her middle to late thirties now, with bright green eyes and mostly black hair dyed with a few narrow streaks of green. That was actually the case for her here, somehow, even though she was actually in her early fifties now, due both to many very healthy long-term habits of hers and rather good genes for herself.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, she is, Keitaro. I'll ask her to bring your friends to the Arcade once they feel they've seen enough things here for a long enough period of time, if that's quite all right with you."

"Great. Thank you, if you could do that for me here quite well enough."

"Think nothing of it. It's the least I can do for a dear childhood friend of my precious Buttercup."

"Buttercup?" asked Mitsune, in a rather curious manner here, befitting her usually-inquisitive nature.

"Yes, all six of my lovely daughters are named after assorted flowers, while all six of my handsome sons are named after assorted ancient civilizations, quite strangely enough. You see, ladies, I am a gardener in my spare time, and my husband is a near-full-time archeologist. He is actually an occasional colleague of Professor Seta Noriyasu, believe it or not, whenever they're on a rare dig together, Konno-san."

"And Buttercup is in Toudai with Keitaro? How old is she?" asked Motoko.

"She was born in the same year, but in late March, that Keitaro was born in. She has two older sisters and three older brothers. Primrose and Tulip are older than her, as are Israel, Egypt, and Carthage. Her younger sisters are Sunflower, Lily, and Peony, while her younger brothers are Abyssinia, Greece, and Rome, Aoyama-san."

"You must like having a big family. Is it exciting for you, Nurse Himayaka?" asked Mutsumi.

"Almost as exciting as turtles and watermelons seem to be for you, I think, Otohime-san."

"What has Keitaro told you of all of us, then, if I might ask?" said Su.

"He said that he loves you all very much, and really hates the idea of eventually leaving you like he may very well do very soon, Su-san."

"But that doesn't explain the childhood reference," said Naru.

"Buttercup and he were classmates for a while before we went overseas for a while. When we returned to Japan, we then moved to Tokyo from the area in and around the Hinata Apartments, and have generally been here ever since, whenever possible. We do still keep in fairly regular touch with many of our friends from that area, though, just the same, Narusegawa-san."

"I see. Well, Shinobu, what's the decision? Do we go on the tour of this place or not, then?" asked Naru, a few seconds later.

Shinobu thought in relative silence for a few brief moments here, and then said, "Yes, we should all do that now, girls. I believe Senpai needs to see the doctors, and that Macanus-san needs to get back to work here with any number of his associates elsewhere on an extremely top-secret project that they all now seem to be working on."

"Yes, I'm going to have to be there very soon indeed. Otherwise, our project might not succeed as well as it needs to here, Maehara-san," said Macanus.

"Then go, Macanus-san. Do what you have to do, then. I'm sure that someone will gladly give us the tour you spoke of earlier, somehow."

Macanus motioned to a few of his co-workers here, and they came over, introduced themselves to everyone, just before beginning to take the Hinata Apartments' tenants on the tour that Macanus had mentioned of the UBGES, of course. After the tenants were all gone, Nurse Himayaka asked, "Are you ready to see the doctors now, then, Keitaro, by any chance?"

"Sure, why not? Please take them to me now, so that I can do what I have to here, okay?"

"Of course, Keitaro. I hope a cure can eventually be found for what you now have, though, quite obviously enough, you know."

Nurse Himayaka then brought Keitaro where he needed to be in the research center, and the doctors saw him as needed, before he began contributing at least a dozen or so good-sized sperm samples to them as he'd been doing for quite some length of time, in the usual ways. Several dozen more sperm samples, at least, were then, very soon afterward, collected and frozen as possible and as appropriate here. After which, he was checked out once again as necessary by his doctors at the research center here, quite naturally enough. He concluded his business at the research center, then, by 12:30 in the afternoon, and left its premises not too long after that. Keitaro then set off for the Arcade on foot, not too long after that, feeling in the mood to just walk for a while and do at least a little thinking as he did so here and now, for that matter.

By that particular time, however, all six of his tenants had already been gone from the research center for at least a little while. They all had left it behind at about 12:15 pm with Ami Mizuno, when she'd suddenly remembered something rather important indeed that she'd rather uncharacteristically forgotten to do some length of time earlier that very same morning. She'd then left the research center in a rather big hurry, but not alone, after both Nurse Himayaka and her mother told her that she'd need to bring them along with her wherever she went for at least a little while here, if not a long while. Ami brought them all along with her, then, even though part of her wished she didn't really have to, and even though part of her wished she'd gladly do so, quite strangely enough.

Keitaro arrived at the Crown Arcade just about an hour after he left the research center's grounds. And by the time he eventually got there, Ami and his six tenants were already having assorted food and drink items at two tables quite near each other in it. Several other people were there as well, of course, also eating and/or drinking as the need or desire for them to do so arose. Various other patrons were playing on various game machines elsewhere in the Crown Arcade as the mood then struck them there, for that matter.

Shinobu saw him first, and then asked, once he was sufficiently close to them all here, in a very quiet voice, "Did things go reasonably well for you at the research center, Keitaro?"

"They went okay, at least, Shinobu. I did my business there, and then left there, just before I began walking here all by myself. The doctors still have no idea about how to cure what I've got, though, you know."

Ami then took this opportunity to say, "Urashima-san, we may have the very best doctors in Japan working on this case that can work on it well enough right now, I think. But we still don't know enough about what you might just have here, and just how many other people might have also been zapped just like you were last year. So we have really no ideas yet on just how to cure it well enough, I'm reasonably sure."

"Would you mind discussing it with us when you get to the Hinata Apartments later, perhaps, with your associates and friends, Mizuno-san?" asked Keitaro.

"Hino-san, one of my friends, seems to have this feeling that trouble of some sort may be heading our way, and that we'd best try to draw it away from Tokyo, at least, if at all possible. I'm talking about me and my friends and associates, at least, mind you. There are others she feels might also be in considerable, if not grave danger, in the near future, so we and they may have to try to draw that trouble as far away from Tokyo as possible."

"Is that part, if not all, of the reason that there are a lot of prospective tenants for residency at my Hinata Apartments complex, then, perhaps?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I believe it is, Urashima-san. Also, it seems that Usagi-chan, another very close friend of mine in my life, wants to actually visit the fabled hot springs of Hinata. She saw your recent television commercial advertising rooms for temporary rent there, and decided that many of us in our social circles needed to take a vacation of sorts at the Hinata Apartments for at least a little while here. It took her at least a few weeks of rather determined effort to win us over to her idea, but she finally convinced us to apply for rooms there a little while ago."

"Why did you advertise such things, Keitaro?" asked Naru, after a little while.

"Because I found out that certain things at the apartments were in quite considerable need of repair, among other things, for various reasons. Some of which you might be quite well aware of by now, Naru, and some you might not be aware of just yet."

"Am I perhaps at least partly to blame for those things being true?" asked Naru.

"I'm not sure, Naru, to tell you the truth. But if so, I'm not mad at you for them, of course."

Ami said, after she glanced at each of her seven current companions, "I take it that things don't always go well for you there, everyone."

"We've had our problems, of course, from time to time, Mizuno-san," said Keitaro. "It's not all peaches and cream, so to speak, being the manager for what will no longer be just a girls-only dorm, due to our now-drastically changed circumstances, of course."

"I suppose not, Urashima-san. Well, I suppose I'd best get along and do what I was planning to do before I had to accompany your tenants here. My associates and I should all be arriving at the Hinata Apartments in the very near future, I believe, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"We'll be expecting you. Feel free to go now, if you wish. I'll take care of these ladies from here, then, and you do what you have to do before you come to the Hinata Apartments like you were planning to do later, okay?"

"Of course, Urashima-san." Turning to the others, she said, "It was a pleasure meeting you all earlier. I'll see you later, then, if and whenever possible." After all of Keitaro's tenants nodded back at her here, she then left without another word or look at any of them here, even as she left some money on the table as a tip for everyone's food and drink here, for the obvious reasons. Ami was completely out the Crown Arcade's doors no more than one minute later, in any case, for that matter.

After Ami left, Mitsune said, "She seems rather intelligent, Keitaro."

"Yes, she is. She didn't say much about herself in her application for a room at the Hinata Apartments. But I still get the feeling that there are certain things that she might choose to keep hidden for as long as she can, girls. And that's just fine with me here, by the way. If she and/or any or all of her current associates and/or friends might eventually want or need to share their various secrets, whatever they might be, then so be it. But for at least as long as I am still the manager of the Hinata Apartments, whether I'm at them or not, I really don't want any of you girls prying needlessly into their lives. They each will share things in their own due time, I'm sure, if and whenever necessary and/or desired. They are all to be treated just as I always try to treat all you girls, for at least as long as they're still actual tenants anywhere on the Apartments' grounds. Is that quite crystal clear, everyone? I really don't want to have to boot any of you girls out for not following this particular condition of mine here, of course. But I most certainly will do so for sure if I absolutely have to, no matter who you are and no matter how I might actually feel about any or all of you girls here, in fact."

The girls all studied Keitaro's now quite-stern face, and soon nodded in total acknowledgement and total acceptance of his just-added condition here. Not too much later, then, all seven of them soon departed the Crown Arcade, and left as needed for the Hinata Apartments, just as soon as they could all do so quite well enough.

They were all back at the Hinata Apartments by 5, and in their respective rooms not much later. Even Keitaro, who went to his own room to be alone for a while. Keitaro then read several of the applications that had recently come in from various prospective tenants of the Apartments for a while, and decided to set the applications of those he felt would be good tenants in one pile, and the ones of those he felt wouldn't be in another. That done, he soon booted up a computer that he'd secretly acquired with money earned from his part-time archeological work with Seta and began sending assorted e-mails to those prospective Hinata Apartments tenants. For those people that he didn't approve the applications for, he sent them each a polite message saying that no openings were available at the Hinata Apartments for them. For those that he did, he said that he'd be expecting them to appear at the Hinata Apartments as soon as they could possibly get there quite well enough, of course. He finally finished dealing with the last of those applications and the necessary e-mails just as Shinobu knocked on his door to let him know supper was now ready at about 7 pm or so, by the way.

Keitaro said, "Thank you, Shinobu. I'll be right there, then." He then closed off all the necessary things on that computer, and soon left his room behind again. But he only did so here well enough once his still-new computer was sufficiently secure from any potential intruders of any possible kind, whether they were electronic ones or non-electronic ones, by the way.

It wasn't long before the seven of them, along with Haruka, were at the table for supper. The discussion was about as lively as it had normally been before Keitaro and the others had found out the day before that he was now dying, in fact. If not at least a bit more so, anyway. Haruka eventually asked, "What did you think of this Ami Mizuno girl, Keitaro?"

"She seemed to be at least a good deal like Shinobu actually was quite a while ago, like when I first got here, Aunt Haruka. At least on the surface, anyway. From what little personal information that I saw on her application, she apparently has a somewhat similar family history to Shinobu's. And she was also quite withdrawn indeed in her own life, for some yet-unknown reason or reasons, for quite a long time, if I'm not too mistaken here at all. But sometime after she eventually started attending Juuban Junior High in Tokyo's Minato-ku area with at least a few other people, she actually began to open up and make real close friendships with at least a few more people in her life. Or at least associate quite a bit with various other people in her own life that she might not have normally associated with before, it seems to me here and now."

"She seemed to know her stuff quite well, Keitaro," said Naru.

"Yes, I got that impression as well, Naru."

"She also seems to have an often-hidden warrior's sense, for some reason," added Motoko. "I wonder just why that is the case. But I will not defy your wishes and try to figure out why as I might often do with certain people who I feel might be like that, Keitaro."

"Good, Motoko. It is good that you actually will wait to see if she is worthy of being here or not before you act against her as you might normally act against someone you might perceive as a potential threat to any or all of us here," said Keitaro.

"My sword is yours, to command as you will, if you wish, Keitaro."

"Just be yourself as much as possible, even with what is evidently hanging at least over my head, if not anyone else's, so to speak, Motoko. Wasn't it Shakespeare, I believe, who said in one of his most famous plays, 'To thine own self be true,' Motoko? That's from _Hamlet_, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"I think so, Keitaro. Why are you wanting me to do this, after all that I and most of the rest of us have put you all through?"

"Because you can only be who you are, Motoko. You're a warrior at heart, and it is your nature to be rather suspicious about people you're not close enough to in your life. Why else would you have often attacked me in the past like you have often done, if that weren't the case?"

"I suppose that's true, Keitaro," answered Motoko, after a while. "However, it seems that you're now part of my family, so to speak, from now on, no matter what may or may not happen to any or all of us here in the future. Yes, I know we're not related by blood, mind you, but I now consider you part of my family, somehow, just the same."

"The way of a warrior is often a lonely one, as I've come to learn from my associations with you ever since I first got here, Motoko. While I'm not totally familiar with that lifestyle choice, of course, I still have come to learn that here, from my experiences with you since that time. And if we ever do marry, as may very well be the case, that might just help our Clan to survive quite well enough against those who will most likely be coming against us all to try to make sure I'm erased from history somehow."

"They will come after us here, without a doubt, Keitaro?" asked Motoko.

"Yes, I am quite certain that they will, Motoko, even after I am no longer here. You and Naru must both do all you possibly can here in order to build and lead a sufficiently good fighting force to somehow protect those who are trying to find a cure for what I've got, at least, to the best of your respective abilities to do so. Even if I'm no longer around to see it, of course."

The eight of them conversed for quite some length of time as they then had their respective suppers, and then they retreated to their rooms, where applicable, for at least a little while, if not a long while, soon after that. A few of them decided to hit the hot springs for a time, and were there by 8:30, in any case at all. Keitaro decided not to join them, for he decided to do a bit of work elsewhere on the grounds for a while, as they went there. Most specifically in the various rooms that were once considered to be temporary guest rooms or storage areas for certain essential supplies required for the maintenance and/or provision of the Hinata Apartments and/or its tenants, at least.

Seeing as Keitaro was not anywhere at all near the hot springs at the current time, those who went there all entered them completely naked. But each kept a towel quite near her, just the same, by course of sheer habit. That was just in case anyone of the male persuasion might come into them at any possible time while they were still there, whether intentionally or not, of course.

Shinobu, Kaolla, Motoko, Naru, Mutsumi, and Mitsune talked for a while with each other here, and one of them eventually asked, "How are we going to decide who might get the first chance to woo Keitaro, at least between all of us here, by the way?"

"We shall roll dice, Kitsune," said Shinobu, after a while.

"When do you suggest we do this, then, Shinobu-hime?"

"After we depart for our round-the-world trip, I think, Kitsune."

"Why not now, then?"

"Because I feel we need to plan for this trip first. And I think it would be best if we waited to do so until the prospective tenants get here, so that we can have them monitor things without Keitaro's eventual knowledge here, if at all possible."

"That is a good idea, Maehara-san," said the same woman who had rather unexpectedly appeared in the area of the hot springs the night before. For she had rather unexpectedly appeared here yet again, through yet-unknown means to the tenants of the Hinata Apartments. She appeared at least a little bit older than she had the previous night here, though not a great deal older here. She saw Motoko suddenly reach for a sword she left near her even now, and said, "Aoyama-san, your aggressiveness is not needed here right now. I come in peace. I wish to warn you of a great evil that is about to make its presence known here very soon indeed, if my sources are sufficiently accurate here. And it will be hunting many people, including several, if not all, of your prospective tenants. Besides, you can't harm me here, for I am in another time and place, and you can't touch me with your sword here, because of that fact. I do not yet know its name, for my sources have not yet learned it, and I can't find it out just yet myself."

"Who are you, then?" asked Motoko.

"I was Princess Serenity a while ago, but now I'm Queen Serenity. Tell nobody of this, if you can possibly avoid it, not even Prince Daniel."

"Who is this Prince Daniel you speak of?" asked Naru.

"At this time, he is my husband. It seems I was right when I came here before some length of time ago, and he was here, but at least a few guardians of mine made it look like he wasn't, somehow. They have since been dealt with as needed. My husband is actually your manager, in fact. He looks very different in your time than he does in my current time. At least one of my daughters will be a prospective tenant of the place where you are now staying, if not more than one of them. In no case or cases whatsoever, however, are they to carry your manager's offspring, for they are too closely related to him genetically."

The young women wondered how that could be so, and Shinobu asked, "How is that possible, Queen Serenity, if I might ask?"

"I come from a civilization that no longer exists in a form recognizable to most Terrans, at least, by the time you are now in for yourselves, but still does in my time. When it is destroyed, I will send many from my civilization and at least one other into the future to live again on at least one other world elsewhere in the Universe, if not more than one. I will also send frozen embryos, if you will, from our surviving medical facilities as best as I can, at least to Earth, if not to any other habitable enough worlds in it. Some will implant somehow into any number of females from that world or those worlds, in at least one time period, and live as normally as they can, once they are born into their new world or worlds of residence, for as long as they can. Many of them will have descendants of their own, of course, and so on and so forth."

Queen Serenity paused for a moment to look at each of the young women then in the hot springs with her, and said, "At least one, if not more than one, of my children will be among those sent to other worlds from where I now am, in at least one way. And they then will come to live again in times that will hopefully be much more peaceful than they are now in my current time period. At least for a while, anyway. Yet, if things haven't already changed by the time that you are now in, the peace I will seek for them will not last. They may already have been forced to battle against those who will destroy my civilization by the time you're seeing me like this. If so, then it will be no doubt that as long as they exist, evil will seek them and/or others out, whether those it seeks out are from my civilization or not."

"And why are you telling us all this here, Queen Serenity?" asked Mitsune.

"Because, Konno-san, one of our little-known prophecies from our soon-to-be-lost civilization says that at least several young people that may rather strongly, if not totally, resemble all six of you ladies, at least, will come together to help battle a great evil. A great evil which will be largely unknown of by people in my civilization, at least as of my current time period in the Universe's history, in fact. It then will be largely up to you and those who might actually fight alongside you to help defeat and/or destroy this great evil somehow, if at all possible. This great evil is prophesied to show itself very soon indeed in your time period, if it hasn't already. And you people must actually awaken, train, and lead, the warriors of the Hinata solar system, somehow, if at all possible, to then defeat and/or destroy it before it's too late to then do so quite well enough. Many others will help you, including my daughter or daughters, for example. But they still will not be sufficiently able to actually fight this great evil all by themselves. It will be up to you all to do most of the major fighting against it, it seems to me here and now."

"And how does our manager fit into this?" asked Kaolla.

"He not only is my children's direct ancestor in at least one way, but he's also their mutual descendant, at least once or twice, Kaolla-san. As am I, believe it or not, by the way. You see, many, if not most or all, of the genes for my civilization's people periodically have resurfaced, are resurfacing, or will resurface, in the Universe's history. While we've actually not been reincarnated periodically, in at least one sense, if not more than one, in truth, it has still been known to actually be the case every so often, at least, somehow. That's actually the case for us here in that certain genes periodically have resurfaced, are resurfacing, or will resurface in any number of generations of certain families for our people. In terms of the long history of our civilization, at least, if enough conditions are sufficiently right from time to time to somehow allow such things to take place well enough, they often do, that is. I believe that will also be the case somehow for those of my civilization, at least, who I am going to somehow save when my civilization is destroyed, for that matter, ladies."

Queen Serenity soon left, but just before she did so, she said, "Ladies, your guardians will arrive where you are after the prospective tenants you get are settled in well enough, it seems to me. I have no ideas at all about what they might look like, or what they might be, but I do at least know that you will have various guardians who will help you prepare and battle against those who attacked your manager and possibly any number of others like they did. Listen to them, and consider any and all advice and help that they might provide as you see fit. They will be able to greatly help you all out, if you let them do so, I am quite sure. However, I have to end this communication with you from my end very soon, just the same."

"Will we see you again, perhaps, some length of time later on?" asked Mutsumi.

"Only the good Lord above knows for sure, Otohime-san. If so, then I will see you all later. If not, then so be it, of course. One of my daughters, at least, though, will have a similar hairstyle, if not an identical one, to my own. She may have blonde hair, just so you know, everyone. She will go by the name of Usagi Tsukino, for your information."

Seconds later, but no more than a minute or two later, after a few more rather brief words between Queen Serenity and the Hinata Apartments' tenants, Queen Serenity vanished from their sight just as quickly as she'd appeared to them all in the hot springs. The young women sat in relative silence for at least a little while longer, before Shinobu spoke here again. She suddenly said, "Girls, that lady was from a civilization once known as the Moon Kingdom, and it was still a time called the Silver Millennium when she began ruling it. I remember hearing parts of a legend when I was a very young girl from my parents of a lost civilization presumably based on the Moon of some dimension in this Universe, and she reminds me quite well of the last known ruler of that civilization. If what she told us is true, then things must be more serious than we might have originally expected here with Keitaro. For it seems that not only is this great evil after him, but it's also after the inhabitants of at least one other solar system anywhere else in the known Universe."

"A solar system called Hinata, I take it," said Naru.

"Yes, it seems so, Naru. I have no idea where it is, or how to even get there, mind you, but I don't think she would have mentioned it if it weren't sufficiently important to our quest here, of course," answered Shinobu.

"Probably not. So how do we keep Keitaro from learning this information, then?" asked Motoko.

"We don't tell him or let him know it before she says we can, if at all possible, Motoko. He must not know this stuff until such time as he needs to know it, if ever. Is that understood, everyone, quite clearly enough?" asked Shinobu, as she looked at each of her fellow tenants one at a time here.

"Of course, Shinobu," they all said, in turn, when the need arose for them to do so here well enough, quite obviously enough. Then they all soon began leaving the hot springs for the women's changing room, and retired to their respective rooms not too long after doing just that here, in fact. All of them were in their respective rooms again by no later than 10:15 pm, then, in any case at all. And asleep by midnight, at the very latest, as well, for that matter.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in Tokyo, Kagome Higurashi was with her cousin Rei Hino in the former's home. Rei had been asked by her grandfather to bring Kagome back to Rei's place for at least the time being, if at all possible, for some yet-unknown reason. Also with Kagome at that time were Sango Meyu, who had somehow actually come with Kagome from the Feudal Era the last time that Kagome had returned from it.

At the current time, all three girls were now in somewhat casual clothes, with Sango now wearing a mostly black blouse with pink flowers on it, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes Kagome and Rei had bought for her earlier that very day, in fact. Kagome herself had on a mostly blue and white blouse with green trim over a black skirt and black and white tennis shoes with velcro-style closures, while Rei was then wearing a red blouse over a pair of tan slacks and a pair of black sandals.

All three were alone with each other in Kagome's room at the present time, with Kagome now sitting on her own bed, Rei sitting somewhat casually in a simple wooden chair behind Kagome's work desk, and the now-standing Sango periodically examining assorted items located all over Kagome's room, with Kagome's full permission here. At the current moment, Rei was saying, "Kagome, my Grandpa thinks that I should bring you along with me when several of my friends and I then go to somewhere called the Hinata Apartments. And that I should also do the same with any of your own friends who might then be with you at the particular time that I tell you that here. Something rather big's coming around here in the very near future, if it hasn't already, it seems. And you and any number of your friends may very well be caught up in it if they're actually around here when certain things begin to happen, if they haven't already begun to do so here at all."

"I see. And just because Sango is actually here with me now, I suppose she may need to accompany me and you there, for the reason or reasons you just stated here?"

"Yes, it seems so, quite unfortunately enough," said Rei.

"But what about our various friends back in the Feudal Era, then?" asked Kagome.

"Like Shippo, for instance?" asked Rei.

"Yes, like Shippo, and Miroku, and Kaede, and several others, for example," said Kagome.

"They'll have to make do then without you, at least for a little while. They will survive well enough without you and Sango, Kagome, for at least a while, from what an associate of mine has recently told me, it seems. It may not be all that easy for them to somehow do so while you two are both absent from that time, of course. But they still will do that, just the same."

"And what of the hunting for shards of the Shikon no Tama, then, Rei?"

"The Feudal Era Kikyo will be assisting your various friends temporarily with the collection of them. Ginkuro and the others will miss you both to at least some degree, of course. But they still will all do whatever they possibly can in order to keep those very same shards of the Jewel of Four Souls out of the hands of your various enemies, whoever or whatever they might then be, whenever they might happen to somehow find any. Kouga will tag along from time to time, as well. Think of it this way, if you must, Kagome. If you are in this time period of ours for at least a little while, that might then just keep Ginkuro and Kouga from actually fighting with each other a whole lot better, and actually fighting alongside each other instead, against your various enemies."

"I suppose so, Rei. But what about Miroku and his rather pernicious skirt-chasing ways, so to speak, then?"

"He will still perhaps chase after various young women, of course. But Shippo, Kilala, and Feudal Era Kikyo should hopefully all be able to keep him in line well enough, somehow, in your absences. Whether or not any other women your friends might encounter later on might also do the same, for that matter, Kagome."

"I sure do hope so, Rei, for if Miroku is his usual self, he'll probably need to be watched very closely indeed, during our absences from the Feudal Era. Also, Sango won't be able to see her brother Kohaku either, for the obvious reasons here, of course."

"Will he be all right, by any chance, then?" asked Sango.

"Yes, he'll still be around when you next see him in your life, Sango. I don't know just when that might be, but I still happen to know somehow that he will be. I can't exactly explain just how I know this, most likely, but I still know it, just the same, for that matter."

Eventually, the three young women left Kagome's home and went to Rei's. Rei's Grandpa soon welcomed them all there, as soon as he noticed their presences near several other young women of Rei's rather considerable acquaintance here. The young women he was then talking to here when they all showed up here were Usagi Tsukino, Ami Mizuno, Makoto Kino, Minako Aino, Reika Nishimura, Naru Osaka, and Sylvia Wakefield, in fact. He soon introduced them to Kagome and Sango, and vice versa, as Rei watched him do so here well enough.

In time, all the young women left for Rei's room, and decided to try to enjoy themselves to at least some degree, if not to a considerable degree there, for at least a little while. Eventually, they all decided to have a sleepover at Rei's that night, so several of them went temporarily to their own residences for a little while, in order to get all the things for it that they'd each need then. Once most of the other young women were gone well enough, Rei soon showed both Kagome and Sango all around the temple's grounds for at least twenty minutes, if not even longer than that. As she was then doing so, they all came upon Yuuichirou Kumada then working rather hard indeed on two piles of firewood elsewhere on them. One with cut wood, and one without. When both Kagome and Sango soon asked who he was, Rei said, in a rather happy tone of voice "That is Yuuichirou Kumada, my very dear boyfriend, girls. He's been my boyfriend for a few years, in fact." Rei then walked over to her boyfriend, and gently took the axe he was then using away from him, before he could swing it again, with one hand, while the other came up to his face and brushed it just as gently as she'd taken his axe away from him now. A few seconds later, she carefully set the axe on top of the yet-uncut pile of wood that he'd just been in the process of working on, and held his mildly-scruffy face rather steady in both of her hands as she then kissed him somewhat passionately indeed on the lips to better emphasize what she'd just said to both Kagome and Sango here.

When Yuuichirou and Rei finally broke for air, a few seconds later, Kagome said, "I see what you apparently mean here, Rei. He's taken, if I get your drift well enough here."

"You're so right about that, miss. Rei, who are these people here, if I might ask?" asked Yuuichirou, once he noticed sufficiently well here that he and Rei weren't actually alone with each other at the current time.

"Dearest, these two girls are my cousin Kagome Higurashi and her Feudal Era friend Sango Meyu. They also will be going to the Hinata Apartments with me soon enough, by the way. And you most likely will probably see much of them in the near future, for that matter, I think. Along with many others, come to think of it." Rei indicated which girl was which as she introduced each one in their turn as needed here.

Yuuichirou studied them both, and then stated, "You live at a temple too, I take it, Higurashi-san."

"Yes, I do, in another part of Tokyo. Sango was born in the Feudal Era, and I met her then. I periodically travel via a well in our well-house between then and now, and when I came back the last time, she rather unexpectedly indeed came to this time period with me instead of the person I normally travel between time periods with whenever they accompany me between then and now."

"I see. So this is most likely her first time in this time period, if I get your drift well enough here?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, if I'm not too mistaken here, it is, Kumada-san," answered Kagome, a few moments of silent contemplation later.

"So do you want someone to help show her the ropes here, so to speak, then?"

"No, I think Rei and I, along with various other people, might just be able to do that here at least a little bit first, if not a lot. But I appreciate your offer of help, just the same. In fact, you remind me a lot of my associate Ginkuro, who you don't yet know, for some yet-unknown reason."

Yuuichirou looked towards Rei for an explanation of what Kagome might be talking about here, and Rei said, "Ginkuro is a guy in a group she often travels with back in the Feudal Era. It's a rather long story, and now is probably not a really good time to tell it to you and anyone else, it seems. Sorry, dearest."

"Then when might I hear it, if at all possible?"

"Perhaps after you and the other boys get to the Hinata Apartments as well, if I'm not too mistaken here."

Yuuichirou thought about that for a little while, and then accepted that. Although not without at least some obvious disappointment on his face as he did so, just the same. The three young women didn't like that look, but their current situation required that to be the case here for at least a little while longer. And it was then much to everyone's mutual dismay, for all the obvious reasons here, quite naturally enough.

Rei, Kagome, and Sango soon let him get back to work on the wood here. That done, they soon headed back to Kagome's place elsewhere in Tokyo. For she had, rather suddenly indeed, just remembered that she and Sango both had left some things there that they might actually need sometime in the near future, if not for quite some time into the future, as well. They picked up all those things, of course, saying very little, if anything at all, as they did so to Kagome's mother, brother, or grandfather, for that matter. And then they all finally returned back to Rei's place just before the eight other young women were due to return to there, by the way.

When they returned, Rei's crows Phobos and Deimos came to Rei's hand, and she briefly fed them some dried corn kernels. They also told her somehow that they both really hoped that her time at the Hinata Apartments would go rather well indeed for her and her friends there, for that matter. After Rei finished giving them the aforementioned corn kernels, she then let them fly off to wherever they might then choose to in or around the temple's grounds. They both wasted almost no time in doing just that, if any time at all, in fact.

No more than about another ten or so mostly quiet minutes later, then, at least several dozen food and drink items were already collected and in Rei's room for everyone that would be at the upcoming sleepover with her on the current night. Kagome, Sango, and Rei were already seated either on Rei's bed or on cushions reading various Japanese-language comic books when Rei's friends began showing up in her room as well.

The first of those friends to arrive was Makoto, followed almost immediately by Minako and Ami in that exact order. Reika arrived about a minute after Ami and Minako did, and Sylvia was right behind her not more than a few seconds after Reika. Then Naru showed up at least a few brief minutes after Sylvia did, just ahead of Usagi. For the two of them had held back for at least a few brief minutes, at least, so that they could both have a brief conversation with each other about certain other things in their own respective lives without any of the other five girls being able to listen in on it well enough, somehow.

"It's about time that you two showed up," said Rei, when Usagi finally walked into her room here.

"Rei, Naru and I were briefly discussing certain rather important matters with each other, and she wanted my advice about certain things, seeing as she's been my best friend for a very long time."

"I see. In that case, I suppose we can let your little delay slide here, then, Usagi."

"Thank you, Rei."

The ten young women soon got to playing assorted games with each other, including a Japanese-language version of Monopoly. They also played some chess, checkers, backgammon, Othello, and assorted card games with each other as they enjoyed themselves at the sleepover they were then having, by the way. Kagome won one game of Monopoly, while Minako took another.

Ami played a few games of chess with Rei and Sango, and she won two out of four of them, somehow losing once to Sango, and drawing once with Rei, while also beating each of them once apiece. Ami also won three games of checkers with Usagi, and a game of backgammon with Makoto.

Sango played a bit of Othello with Reika, and beat her twice, as Ami watched as a referee of sorts. Sango was also a reasonably quick study in a few card games, and even managed to win at least a few yen from several of the ten other girls in a few rounds of poker with them.

Sylvia also played chess with Usagi after Usagi decided she didn't want to play checkers with Ami any longer at the current time. Both girls won once against each other, in fact, when they finally decided to play chess with each other here.

After a while, Usagi decided to relax a bit more and secretly swiped one of Rei's comic books while Rei's attention was otherwise occupied by Makoto and Minako here. She also swiped one for Naru, and one more for Sango, before Rei managed to catch her doing so quite well enough here. Rei wasn't happy, of course, but soon let it pass, once she decided to start telling a random story here right off the top of her head, mere moments before she started to do so. When she told them that she'd like to start telling a random story here, the others soon finished whatever else they were then doing, and put away all the other things that they then needed to here.

When everyone was sufficiently ready to listen to her story, and begin writing or recording it somehow, Rei began to start it here, in very short order.

Rei said, "This story begins a long time ago, and far away from here, girls. It begins in another solar system far from our own, elsewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy, by the way. It takes place, perhaps, about one thousand or so years ago, more or less, for that matter."

"Is this another story like our own, perhaps, Rei?" asked Usagi.

"You'll just have to wait and see, Odango."

"Odango?" asked Sango.

"Usagi is often called Odango or Odango Atama by a few people in her life, including myself, obviously enough, Sango. Her boyfriend started it, and I eventually encountered her and found myself doing the same not too long after he did so first, in fact."

"Just because Mamoru does so from time to time doesn't mean you need to, though, Pyro."

"Pyro?" asked Kagome.

"Long story, Kagome and Sango," said Rei.

Naru said, "Could we please get to the story now, Rei? I'd really like to hear as much of it as I can before we find ourselves falling asleep easily enough tonight."

"If Usagi will let me, sure we will, Naru."

"Fine, Rei. Have it your way, then."

"As I was saying, then, before Usagi interrupted, this story begins in another solar system far from our own, elsewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy. And about a thousand years ago, more or less. It was a time of knights and ladies of all sorts, and of many rival Houses seeking sufficient amounts of dominance over each other until a rather great enemy indeed suddenly arose which eventually required them all to somehow band together in hopes that they'd be able to protect the various worlds of their system and the inhabitants of them, in fact."

Rei paused for a few seconds to take a few cookies from a plate near her then, as well as to take a sip of some tea she also had in front of her, before continuing, "There were many Houses on the various worlds of their solar system, and even in and on their system's star, for that matter. It was a time where those Houses were all seeking to position themselves for at least the near future, if not for quite some time into it. For the system's current ruler was about to die. And they had stated no clear successor to themselves, in terms of the chief rulership of the system, at the particular time I'm speaking of here."

She looked at several of her companions somewhat briefly, and then continued, "There were twelve planets, five moons, and one star represented in the system's Royal Court. While all the other known worlds of the system were not represented in it due to each of them not yet having enough population of sentient enough nature loyal to the Kingdom that controlled the system's government on themselves to qualify for direct representation in that system's Royal Court. They had only recently been colonized, you see, from several of the other known worlds in the system, or they had only recently been discovered by others in their solar system to have at least some sort of sentient life on each of them. Several of those worlds, in fact, had only recently learned of the existence of the Urasudjer Kingdom. The Urasudjer Kingdom's current rulers were based in a certain habitat somewhere within the core of their system's star, while their Parliament was based on a world much like Earth, and their judiciary was based on a moon of the planet that their Parliament was based on."

A sip of tea later, she continued, "At this time, several of the Royal Court's seats were being taken over by the next available ruling generations for a number of the worlds in that system. It was a time of great change beginning to brew, so to speak, in the system, either for good or for evil, as the case might eventually prove to be. Though not many people, if any at all, really knew what might happen in the near future for it and its inhabitants, in fact. It would take a while for the new dynamics of power to become sufficiently evident here, from what most, if not all, other people in the system could then somehow tell here well enough, by the way. For some people had not yet made their moves well enough in bids for power and influence anywhere in the system, given the then-prevailing circumstances in it."

Rei glanced briefly at Ami, Naru, and Kagome, before continuing, "It would take the meeting of three young girls for things to eventually start rolling here well enough so that the system's inhabitants would begin to come together at least well enough to start trying to band together somehow against the great evil that I spoke of, for the good of their system's countless inhabitants. These three young girls were the Crown Princesses from the worlds of Leyua, Sudui, and Jeroru, in fact. And they first encountered each other when they met on Sudui, the world on which the Kingdom's Parliament was based, one night when Jeroru, Sudui's nearest moon, was high in the sky above all their heads, as they were then in a garden of sorts at a random Palace somewhere on Sudui's planetary surface. Specifically in a place the planet's inhabitants often called the Sailor Rose Gardens, for that matter. The three had not yet met each other in person, face-to-face, to that point in time, for each of them had only recently become the Crown Princesses for their respective worlds no more than a year before in any of their cases. They had heard about each other periodically, though, over at least a few years for each of their lives, and still only knew each other by apparent reputation, when they first actually met each other in person on Sudui when they did."

A bite or two of some cookies for herself later, she continued, "The three girls were considerably different from each other in looks, when they first encountered each other. The Princess of Leyua was, in fact, a catgirl, believe it or not." Rei soon described her, and said that many Leyuans of the time were rather cat-like in their natures and/or appearances, though not all Leyuans, for that matter.

Kagome asked about the other two Princesses, and Rei soon described them for at least a little bit, and told a good portion more of the story before everyone started to get rather tired on the current night at Rei's place here, of course. When that happened well enough here, Rei soon had everyone stop writing and/or recording the story for at least the time being, for the obvious reasons here. Usagi was one who wanted to hear a bit more of the story before she fell asleep, but Rei would not give in to her about it at the current time. So all ten young women soon went to bed and to sleep not too long after that happened here. And so they all slept.

* * *

The following morning, they awoke, and gathered up all their things as needed. After which, they eventually left Rei's place for the nearest train station, stopping briefly at their respective residences, if necessary, to collect all the things that they'd decided to bring with them to the Hinata Apartments. Supposing, of course, that they didn't already have those things with them when they last left Rei's place by 9:30 in the morning of June 11, 1993, in fact.

They were all on the necessary train to the area of the Hinata Apartments, then, by no later than 10:15 in the morning, in any case at all. And they were all sufficiently outside them by no later than 12 noon, after recovering all their things from the train that they'd each taken to the nearest train station to those Apartments, for that matter.

Then they began to make their way up the stairs leading to the front door of the Hinata Apartments with each other. When they got there, Usagi soon knocked on it a few times. After about another five minutes or so, then, the Apartments' manager came to the door, and asked who they were, and what they wanted. Usagi soon told him, after which they were all soon escorted into the Apartments and brought to the living room. By which time, all the present tenants of them were already waiting for them all there, in fact. For Shinobu had actually somehow managed to see them all coming to the Apartments' grounds from some good distance away while she'd been doing some laundry on the roof and while Motoko had been doing at least a little bit of sword training there as well.

By 12:45 in the afternoon, then, Shinobu and everyone else had learned at least enough information about them all to mutually decide that they could all stay at the Apartments for at least a little while, if not a long while. Once that was sufficiently agreed upon, then, Shinobu and the other tenants soon showed the ten young women to the places where they would be staying in the Apartments for at least the next few days, if not for their entire stay, in them.

The ten girls soon began to settle in at the Apartments, just as soon as they could. Shinobu said, as they were being shown to their temporary lodgings in the Apartments, "You will have to share quarters with us until we can better prepare other rooms for you to use here, though. For instance, Naru Osaka, you will have to share quarters temporarily with Kagome and our Naru, it seems. Reika and Makoto, you are to bunk with Mitsune. Minako and Usagi, you're with me. Rei, you and Sango are to be with Kaolla. Sylvia and Ami, you are going to stay with Mutsumi, for that matter. And our manager sleeps alone. At least at the current time, anyway. One other thing, Usagi is not to go into the manager's room at any time, unless she has no other choice in the matter here, or has the manager's permission to do so. She may be outside his room, in the hall, but not in it, except in cases of great emergency. I have my reasons for insisting on this here, for I am now the effective leader of the tenants here, in fact."

"Why not?" asked Usagi.

"Because if you go in there needlessly, and without sufficient enough permission, you will find trouble from many of us, if not all of the rest of us. If you get his permission, then you will not find trouble from any of us, as long as you get it legitimately enough. He needs his privacy now more than he ever has before, if and whenever possible, in fact, Usagi, for certain things are not as they should be any longer for him."

"That's not really fair, Shinobu."

"Maybe it isn't, but he can't afford to waste what time he has left in his life needlessly dealing with certain unnecessary things, Usagi. I am quite sure that your friend Ami has briefed you on his current situation to at least some degree. Am I right?"

"Yes, I suppose so, Shinobu."

"Then how do you think Mamoru would possibly happen to feel if he learned that you actually had violated our manager's privacy needlessly, at any time, for that matter?" asked Shinobu.

"If I know him well enough, like I think I do, he would be very upset, to put it rather mildly, at the very least."

"Then will you promise not to do that sort of thing while you're here, if you can possibly avoid doing so, somehow, Usagi?"

"Very well, I will try to do that, Shinobu. But I can't promise you any more than that, just the same."

"Keep your nose clean enough, and I think we'll get along just fine with you, Usagi."

"I'll do what I can to follow that condition of yours, then, Shinobu."

"Good. Rei and Minako, I'm putting you two in charge of making as sure as you can that she does so, if you don't mind. Okay?"

Rei and Minako soon nodded in acknowledgement of that fact, and everyone eventually settled into their temporarily-assigned rooms in the Apartments as needed here. Before everyone parted from each other, then, Shinobu said, "The next meal will be served at 4:30 pm in the dining area. I will expect you there by no later than ten minutes after that time. Anyone who shows up there later than that will have to wait until at least 7:30 before they'll have another chance to get something to eat here. You all have until 4:30 pm to get settled in here well enough before we all have a late lunch here. After that late lunch, you all will be released to do whatever else you might wish to do on the grounds, within reason, for that matter. If you have any other reasonable enough questions that you might then need to have answered, please feel free to ask your temporary roommates or the manager, if and whenever possible, before 4:30 pm comes around here. As for me, I will be in the kitchen preparing that late lunch for everyone."

Shinobu then left everyone else to their own devices, whatever those devices of a sort might then be here. And the Apartments' first, of probably many, new tenants soon began to get better acquainted with the old tenants for them to at least some degree, then, of course. If not to a great degree instead.

* * *

That's the end of Chapter Two for _The One You Miss Most_. I hope you all enjoyed it well enough to decide to try to leave me at least a few rather clean, rather courteous, and rather constructive reviews for it, of course. Until next time, then, I'll see you all later here, I hope, everyone. TUS out.


	3. Chapter Three: Shinobu's Snowstorm

Here's the perhaps long-awaited Chapter Three to this story here, everyone. I really hope that you all enjoy it to at least some degree, then, of course. If not to a great degree, that is. Much will happen in this particular chapter, though, that might not be all that pleasant for several of the characters now in it, if even any little bit at all, just so you all know this here quite well enough. If any or all of you readers might actually wish to do just that here, please do feel reasonably free to try to leave some rather clean, rather courteous, and rather constructive reviews for this chapter here, quite naturally enough here, then. With no further unnecessary ado here, I hereby give you all Chapter Three for _The One You Miss Most_. TUS out.

* * *

Chapter Three: Shinobu's Unexpected Snowstorm

* * *

A few hours later, Shinobu had a late lunch sufficiently prepared for everyone now in the Apartments here, even the new tenants. By 4:25, then, she began to notify everyone that it was almost time for that late lunch, starting with Sylvia and Mutsumi, who were sitting on the living room couch near each other and just enjoying themselves as they then saw fit to here. Sylvia, in fact, was then working on a painting that she'd recently begun work on, as Mutsumi was watching her work on it.

Sylvia was in the middle of painting a landscape set on a certain world far from Earth, in fact, but which was still much like Earth, in fact. At the moment, she was working on a part of the painting that had various humanoid beings standing near a large temple or some other kind of religious-oriented building on a good-sized hill of some sort. When Mutsumi asked, "Where is this place that you're painting, if it actually exists somewhere in the Universe, Sylvia?"

"It is on a moon of another planet in a solar system quite far away from here. Specifically on a moon that's called 'Rizob,' Mutsumi. The planet it orbits around is the planet of Sudui, in fact. Rizob is the second moon of Sudui, and the other moons you're now seeing in the picture are Jeroru and Alarin. Sudui's moons Domael and Okrez are not present in this picture here, though, for they're not currently above the horizon in any direction whatsoever. The planets you see in the picture are Sudui, Farujei, Ozom, and Leyua. It's night for the part of Rizob shown in this picture now, so the system's star is not visible in this picture as well. There are many other planets in the system, but they're not visible for various reasons. Some are too far away to be seen easily enough, and some might also be visible, were it not for the presence in the sky of a few of the planets or moons that I just mentioned here, if they were sufficiently above the horizon, that is."

"From closest orbit to Sudui to farthest orbit, where do the five just-mentioned moons of Sudui then all generally lie in the Sudui mini-system, Sylvia?"

"Jeroru is closest to Sudui. Next closest is Rizob, as already stated. Alarin is third-closest of them. Domael is fourth-closest. And Okrez is the fifth-closest. There may actually be still other yet-unknown moons orbiting Sudui, but those five moons are the only ones that I know of well enough at the current time, in fact, by the way, Mutsumi."

"When do you expect to finish this painting, if I might ask you this here?"

"I really don't know. I'm hoping before September, though, in any case at all, just the same."

Shinobu briefly whispered in both young girls' ears to let them know that lunch was now ready. So Sylvia and Mutsumi each set down the various things that they each had in their hands and put them in safe enough places where they wouldn't be messed with, if necessary, by anyone else in the Apartments. This, of course, was for all the obvious reasons here, for sure.

Once that was done quite well enough to sufficiently satisfy them both here and now, they soon set off for the dining area in the Apartments in very short order. They were both there mere seconds before Usagi literally flew to the table just ahead of Kaolla, in fact. Not too much later, then, everyone was at the necessary table or tables in it, of course. Even Keitaro, for that matter.

A short prayer over the food later, led by Sylvia, with everyone's permission, everyone soon began to have that late lunch with each other. In time, Shinobu asked, "Wakefield-san, why did you pray over all the food and drink earlier, if I might ask you this here and now?"

"Because, Maehara-san, I am a Christian. It is my habit to do so, if and whenever possible, in fact. I try to never forget to do so whenever I have a meal, for that matter."

"Where are you actually from, then?" asked Narusegawa.

"I am from Israel. Most specifically, I am from Jerusalem, in Israel, everyone. I have periodically come to Japan for various reasons which I do not choose to reveal to you here at this time, though. I know Tsukino-tachi from my periodical stays here in Japan, just in case you were all wondering this here at least a little bit, if not a lot."

"Do you have any siblings of your own, if you don't mind me asking too much, then, Wakefield-san?" asked Motoko, as she took a sip of some tea then in front of her.

"Two sisters, one brother. I am the oldest of my parents' four children. My sisters are Rebecca and Martha, and my brother is Ulysses, Aoyama-san."

"And your parents?" asked Kaolla.

"Nigel and Esther, Su-san."

"You seem to have a boyfriend, as well, if I'm not mistaken. For I notice you now seem to be wearing a necklace with a locket on it bearing the initials R and S on it," stated Mitsune.

"Yes, I do have a boyfriend. A rather steady one, in fact. His name is Rolando, by the way, Konno-san. We have been together for a few months now, just so you know this here well enough."

"So you won't likely be interested in Keitaro romantically, I take it?" asked Mitsune.

"No, I won't. Rolando and I really love each other, Konno-san."

"So when might we get to meet this boyfriend of yours, if we might ask?" asked Mutsumi.

"I really don't know. You might see him while we're still here or you might not. I just don't really know right now, though. You might also see the boyfriends of several, if not all, of these other girls, for that matter, somehow. I don't really know just why I seem to be thinking that here, but I still do, just the same, Otohime-san."

"What kind of guy is this Rolando, if you don't mind me asking, then, Wakefield-san?" asked Sango.

"He's a really nice guy, for the most part, from a good-sized family, and he loves to write whenever he can find enough spare time to do just that in his life. He is sort of lonely at certain times as well, but is starting to not be so lonely as our relationship with each other continues to develop as it may in our lives. He isn't very popular with a lot of people, since he comes from a family that doesn't generally have a lot of disposable enough income, so to speak. His family's members, in medieval terms, would perhaps generally be considered to be commoners, by many, if not most, other people they might encounter in their respective mortal lives, I think. While my family's members would generally be considered to be part of the ruling class, or nearly so, if I'm not too mistaken, in such terms."

"So, in essence, you're saying that a relationship between someone like him and someone like you would typically find much potential or actual opposition to it, if I get your drift well enough, Wakefield-san?" asked Kagome.

"That's right, Higurashi-san. But we still fell in love with each other, and we're not going to split up with each other if we can possibly ever avoid it somehow. God willing, of course, that is," said Sylvia.

"What kind of Christian are you, then, Wakefield-san?" asked Keitaro.

"I am what many would call a Protestant Christian, Urashima-san."

"What's that mean, in essence, if you can clarify that well enough here?" asked Shinobu.

"It means that I don't pray to Mary, the mother of Jesus, for example. Or to any dead people, asking them to intercede for me with God, for that matter. I don't typically attend Mass at Catholic churches in my life, unless I am with my friends at such places of worship, either. I consider, as well, all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour to be saints in their lives, not just those people who the Catholics consider to be saints. I do not regard the Pope as the chief leader of the Lord's Church here on Earth, by the way. There is only one true leader of that Church in this world, and that is Jesus Christ Himself, even though He is now with His Father in Heaven, by the way."

"How is that possible, if Jesus is in Heaven with His Father, as you say?" asked Narusegawa.

"Jesus is present in the hearts of those people who actually accept him as Lord and Saviour in their respective lives, even now. He is, in fact, completely omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, Narusegawa-san."

"So you're saying that He knows every single thing that we ever do in our respective mortal lives, even when we periodically might try to hide things from any number of other people, if I somehow actually get your drift well enough here, Wakefield-san?"

"Yes, He knows everything that everyone who's ever lived, is now living, or will eventually live, has done, is doing, and will do, even before they do anything at all in the first place, Narusegawa-san," answered Sylvia.

"No matter what it is?" asked Su.

"Yes, that is true, Su-san. And when our respective mortal lives are over, He then will judge us as the need arises for Him to do so, no matter how that might be for each and every single one of us. There will be many who'll not actually happen to spend eternity in Heaven, and there'll be many who actually will. I really hope that all of you actually make Heaven, somehow, by the way. For the alternative final destination will most certainly not be one any of you will in any way shape or form enjoy, for sure. And there are only two possible final destinations for people in their eternal existences," said Sylvia, a little while later.

Everyone then talked about any number of topics for at least another hour or so, before eventually parting from each other after they'd felt they'd done so long enough here while having a late lunch with each other. Soon enough, Makoto and Shinobu were alone with each other in the kitchen area of the Hinata Apartments, and beginning to attend to all the dirty dishes and various other things that still needed to be attended to here well enough.

* * *

Once they were sufficiently sure that there were no prying ears and eyes about here and now, Makoto asked, "How did you get so good at cooking, if you don't mind me asking this here, Maehara-san?"

"My parents had a restaurant not far from here, before they split up. I often watched them work at that restaurant, and even learned how to cook at least a little bit by watching them. Even my mother helped me learn to cook at least a little bit by working with me on various food and drink items. When they split up, I came here, and have been here ever since. In time, I began to do some cooking experiments of my own, and have gradually gotten better at such things in my life, even without my parents around me to help me here."

"I noticed that you often shot looks at your manager when you thought nobody else was looking at him, Maehara-san. Could it be that you're in love with him, by any chance?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. But you're not to go spreading it around to your friends and associates, just the same. Especially Minako or Usagi, who seems to really be interested in trying to pair people up quite often, from what I can tell of them both right now."

"Don't worry. I won't actually let my friends and associates know that, if I can possibly avoid it somehow at all. Especially for the two you mentioned most specifically here. By the way, your manager seems to look quite a lot like one of my ex-boyfriends, somehow."

"Oh, Kino-san?" asked Shinobu, as she began to put some now-washed dishes away in the necessary cabinets while Makoto handed them to her as needed, if needed.

"It's this way, Maehara-san. A lot of the guys that I have been known to encounter at times in my life look, and perhaps act, at least occasionally, like various boys I've dated before in my life, for some rather strange reason or reasons I can't actually explain somehow. I seem to generally prefer dark-haired boys, when it comes to potentially dating them. At least I did, anyway, before I started dating my current boyfriend Shinozaki, that is."

"How did you happen to meet Usagi, if I might ask, then?"

"She and I met rather unexpectedly indeed when I defended her from some bullies she'd encountered all of a sudden. We became not only classmates, but close friends of each other, in due time, and we now consider each other good friends. I met her sometime after she'd first met up with Ami and Rei, though. Our Naru has been her best friend for a very long time. Although Usagi hasn't necessarily been able to spend quite as much time with her in her life for a rather long time, for reasons I'm presently not at liberty to discuss with any of you. Minako eventually showed up and joined our social circles, and she is now a major part of them as well."

"That explains how you know Usagi, Ami, Rei, your Naru, and Minako. But how do Sylvia and Reika, at least, really fit into them?" Shinobu put some leftovers back in the nearest refrigerator as needed here, as she asked that of Makoto here.

"Reika is the girlfriend of a certain Arcade/Restaurant's manager by the name of Motoki Furuhata. Most specifically, he is the manager of the Crown Arcade that Ami told us that you'd been at sometime earlier. We often hang out together at the Arcade with each other whenever we're not otherwise occupied in our lives. As for Kagome and Sango, we don't actually happen to really know all that much about them right now, if anything at all. We still do know, however, that Kagome is Rei's cousin, at least. And that Sango is at least a moderately close associate of Kagome's in some yet-unknown way, for that matter, Maehara-san."

"That tells me about Reika, but what about Sylvia?"

"Sylvia is a girl we meet up with from time to time. She attends a different school than Ami, Usagi, and I, at least, attend, if I'm not too mistaken here. We've never been able to go to her school, it seems, but we've gotten to be at least a little familiar with each other in our respective lives. I don't know much about her boyfriend, but from what little I know of him, he seems to have at least a little bit of a beard for himself. At least, I think he does, anyway."

"How tall is he, if you might be able to tell me well enough?"

"I'd estimate him to be just about Motoko's height, more or less."

"And what else do you know of him?"

"If I'm not too mistaken, he wears glasses quite often, if not all the time, based on a picture I think I've seen of him at least once or twice before in my life."

Shinobu and Makoto eventually finished taking care of whatever things then needed to be taken care of in the kitchen area, and left it not long after that happened. By then, it was nearly 5:45 in the late afternoon, more or less, in fact. Shinobu asked, "Do you girls plan on using the hot springs later, by any chance at all?"

"Perhaps. Why do you ask, Maehara-san?" asked Makoto.

"Just wondering, that's all. We often hit them after supper, ourselves. Perhaps you might be willing to join us in them when we're there?"

"We'll see. But perhaps we should go back to our designated rooms in these Apartments for a while, then?"

"I suppose so, if you have no other further matters to discuss with me now, then, Kino-san."

"Understood. Now I think I'd best get some reading done, if that's all right with you here. There's a novel I've been reading lately that I'd really like to get back to here, if I may."

"Then please don't let me keep you away from it, if you don't have to, Kino-san."

Makoto nodded, and then moved off towards the room that she temporarily shared with Mitsune and Reika in the Hinata Apartments here. As she was still in the process of doing so here, she rather unexpectedly encountered Motoko, all of a sudden. Motoko asked, a few seconds later, at most, "Kino-san, would you perhaps be willing to actually train with me, by some chance?"

Makoto and Motoko studied each other for a little bit, at least, before Makoto responded here, "I suppose we could try to do that for a little while. I take it you have a particular place in mind for said training to occur in, if I get your drift well enough here, Aoyama-san."

"Yes, I do. You somehow seem to have a warrior's sense of being, generally, if I'm not too mistaken about such things here, just as your associate and friend Mizuno-san does. A number of your other associates seem to also be warriors of some kind, as well, for that matter."

"I see. When would you like to perhaps train with me, then?"

"Would 6:30 in the morning be too late for you, by any chance?"

"No, I don't think so. Where do you wish me to train with you, then?"

"Meet me on the roof by then, and we shall begin to train with each other, if you don't mind."

"Do I need to bring anything with me when I do, then?"

"Do you have a wooden sword, at least, by any chance at all?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering, Kino-san."

"I see. I think I can get there without actually being seen or heard well enough. Reika is usually a rather sound sleeper, as is Usagi. There might be at least a few of my associates up by then, but maybe they can still be slipped past well enough without me somehow tipping them off about where I'd be going then, I think."

"Good. Perhaps you can even teach me a few martial arts techniques that I might be able to use the next time that my sister decides to test my abilities as a swordswoman?"

"We'll see, Aoyama-san."

"As you wish, Kino-san."

"If we're going to be co-tenants here, at least for a while, perhaps you should call me 'Mako-chan.' That's what many of my associates tend to call me, for that matter."

"Then I suppose you should call me 'Motoko-san,' or 'Moto-chan,' whichever you prefer?"

"Moto-chan seems suitable enough for me here, I suppose."

"Then call me Moto-chan, whenever possible, okay?"

"As you wish, so shall it be."

"Until later, then, Mako-chan?"

"Agreed. Until later." Makoto soon arrived back at her currently-assigned room in the Apartments, and read for a while, until just before supper was due to be served here to everyone.

* * *

Haruka showed up there as well, and everyone had a fairly pleasant meal with each other, before Keitaro soon retired to his room for at least the next few hours, if not for the rest of the night. Once he was sufficiently enough behind a securely locked door in them for at least a little while, then, all the females then present soon decided to hit the hot springs with each other. The first one in was Mutsumi, and the last one in was Sylvia.

Sylvia eventually asked, "Are you quite sure that Keitaro will not come by here while we're all still here, by any chance, Narusegawa?"

"Yes, for some reason, he seemed somewhat exhausted today, Wakefield-san."

"Call me Sylvia, if you please, everyone. Many other people do, whenever possible, in fact."

"As you wish," said those who'd been residing at the Hinata Apartments or sufficiently near them for a much longer time than Sylvia and all of her own associates here.

"Okay. Then what should we call our respective Narus while we're all residents here at the Apartments?" asked Sylvia.

The Hinata Inn group of ladies got together with each other, briefly. And they then discussed the just-raised name-related issue some distance away from the Juubanites, eventually coming up with the idea of calling Naru Osaka Midori and Naru Narusegawa Koushoku. Both Narus soon tested those nicknames out, and eventually both agreed to permit them to be used here, whenever necessary and possible. Narusegawa was given the nickname Koushoku due to her tendency to often wear a yellow sweater, while Osaka was given the nickname Midori due to the green bow she often wore in her hair, in fact.

The ladies all remained in the hot springs with each other until at least 9:30 or so at night, before deciding to leave them for their respective rooms in it. The first one of them that was out of the hot springs, then, was Haruka, when she said she had other things to do before her bedtime came to her on the current night. The last two out were Shinobu and Ami, for that matter.

* * *

When Ami and Shinobu were sufficiently sure that they wouldn't be disturbed at all for the rest of the night, or that they wouldn't be overheard or seen by anyone else then on the grounds, too easily, Ami eventually asked, "Why is it so important that Usagi not try to go into Urashima-san's room, if I might ask?"

"Because, Mizuno-san, it seems that she and Keitaro are too closely related to each other, genetically speaking, according to Queen Serenity."

Ami thought about this for at least a minute, if not even longer than that here, and then she asked, "How do you know about Queen Serenity, Maehara-san?"

Shinobu then spent at least the next ten minutes or so, if not even more time than just that, here, with her telling Ami of the two quite-unexpected appearances of Usagi's own Moon Kingdom mother in the hot springs some length of time before. And Ami soon began to consider the possible implications of what Shinobu was then telling her now. In due time, Ami said, "I wonder if I should actually share this information with my now-present friends and associates, then, Maehara-san."

"I suppose you could, just so long as the rest of you don't actually happen to let Usagi get wind of it somehow, if I'm not too mistaken here, Mizuno-san." Shinobu soon moved, with Ami's eventual consent, to help Ami wash her back more here.

"Perhaps we can somehow manage to do just that here. Though keeping such vital information as you're now talking about here from actually getting to Usagi somehow might be rather hard indeed to do here. For she often is quite curious about a lot of things in her life, Maehara-san. If she ever gets wind of this, however, somehow, she won't likely stop investigating the matter until she knows everything she possibly can ever learn about it."

"How about you call me Shinobu-chan, or just plain Shinobu, if and/or whenever possible? Many of my friends here do so quite often, Mizuno-san."

"Are you quite sure about that here?"

"Yes, I think I am."

"Then you perhaps should call me 'Ami-san' or 'Ami-chan,' if and whenever possible, Shinobu. I suppose 'Ami' is also reasonably acceptable here, in that case, as well."

"Understood. If I'm not too mistaken here, doesn't Usagi have a younger brother named Shingo?"

"As a matter of fact, Usagi-chan does indeed have a younger brother by that name," Ami soon said, with a tiny bit of a smile on her face, for some yet-unknown reason.

"I wonder what he's like, then." Shinobu soon motioned to her own back, and Ami began helping Shinobu wash it as needed here, in return for Shinobu's earlier help with her own back's washing

"Why don't you actually ask Usagi-chan about him sometime yourself? Perhaps she might even be able to put him in contact with you, even, if you're interested."

"I'll think about it, Ami-san. But, in the meantime, my main concern is my dear Senpai Keitaro."

"Because of his currently-uncurable medical condition, no doubt, Shinobu?"

"Yes, Ami-san, that's right. I don't want us to lose him, if it can possibly be avoided at all somehow."

"Especially you, I take it?"

"Yes, especially me, Ami-san. He, quite honestly here, is my first real human non-related love, in fact. And perhaps the first real human non-related loves of any of the rest of us, other than Haruka, of course."

"How do the other original tenants of this place actually happen to feel about him, as far as you know?"

"We all care for him now quite a bit, on each of our own respective parts. Most of us, though, didn't really come to realize that quite well enough until after we all learned sufficiently well about his current medical condition, it seems to me here and now. There is much history of all kinds between he and each of the rest of us, for sure, and now it's all just about to be lost, it seems, if I'm not too mistaken here. Unless, of course, a cure for what he now has is somehow actually found and used sufficiently well in a timely enough manner."

"I see. And just where do you think you might each stand in his eyes, by any chance?"

"He loves each of us very much. I'm not entirely sure just how come he loves each of us very much like he does. But I still know that he does, somehow, just the same, Ami-san. I've never really asked him what he thinks of each of us, in truth, though."

"I often get quite tongue-tied, too, it seems, when matters of true love happen to cross my mind, for some reason I can't quite explain well enough in my life, Shinobu."

"You are concerned that your heart will break too easily if you think about such things too often, are you not?"

"Yes, I suppose that might be true. What makes you think that, however?"

"Believe me, Ami-san, it's really not all that easy to see the one that you have considerably deep feelings for evidently being a lot more interested in someone else besides you. I really care for Senpai, but Koushoku seems to be the one he's evidently most interested in, at least romantically speaking, at the present time."

"Is that perhaps because of the differences in your respective current ages, by any chance?"

"I suppose so. I mean, he's 22, and I'm 15, as of the moment. I'll be 16 in November, but I don't know if I'll ever get to marry him easily enough before he dies, as I fully expect him to do in the near future."

"And what of the others? How old are they, then?"

"Mutsumi Otohime is the oldest of us all here. She is now 23, after having her latest birthday early this just-past March, in fact. Keitaro is now 22, but he may now never make 25, for all the obvious reasons, of course. Then comes Mitsune, AKA Kitsune, who is now 21, nearly 22. Koushoku is next, and she's now 20. Motoko is next after her to have a birthday among us all, and she's now 17, due to turn 18 about two weeks after I turn 16. Kaolla is already 16, and her next birthday takes place just about a week after Keitaro turns 23, if he somehow ever manages to make it well enough to his next birthday here. And I'm the youngest of all of us, at least among those of us who are regular enough residents of this place. There are various others who drop in from time to time here, including a still-young girl by the name of Sarah McDougal, for that matter."

"I see. Well, for what it's worth at the moment, Reika is now 21. Sylvia is now 19. Kagome, Sango, Midori, and Rei are all 17, with Kagome being the oldest of the four, in the exact order I gave you just now. Usagi is the next one of us with a birthday after Rei. Then I'm after Usagi. Minako comes next, followed by Makoto. Usagi, Minako, Makoto, and I are all now sixteen, and Usagi will have her next birthday on June 30th, in fact."

"I see, Ami-san. And just who are the boyfriends for each of you girls, if you don't actually mind me asking you this here and now too much?"

"Usagi's boyfriend is someone named Mamoru Chiba. He's now 22. My boyfriend is Ryo Urawa. Rei's boyfriend is Yuuichirou Kumada. Makoto's boyfriend is Shinozaki Miyake."

"Yes, Mako-chan told me that her boyfriend's name was Shinozaki. What about Minako and the others, then, if you might also tell me their respective names here and now?"

"Minako now has a boyfriend by the name of Kohaku Kumada, it seems. Though we girls don't really know all that much about him at the current time. Minako dates a lot of guys, because they don't often stay with her very long, for whatever reason or reasons, it seems to us. It's not necessarily a bad thing that she does so, though, of course. But I hope she eventually finds one who she can hold onto well enough for the rest of her life, you see. For we don't really like seeing her have to deal with broken hearts, of course."

"And this happens quite often, right, Ami-san?"

"Yes, much too often, in my own humble opinion, at least. But she often tries to, somehow, secretly hide her pain by then pretending that such things don't really bother her, when I happen to know that they actually do. She's fairly good at it, I must admit. But she's still not good enough for me to secretly catch her actually crying from time to time when she thinks nobody else can actually see her do so well enough in her own mortal life. She may not show it quite as obviously as others might, but I still know that she does, just the same, Shinobu," said Ami, as she began to gather up her bathing supplies here at least a little bit, rising a bit out of the hot springs as she began doing so here.

"Okay. If I remember correctly here, then, Rolando is Sylvia's boyfriend. Who are the boyfriends for Sango, Kagome, and Midori, if you can tell me their names as well, by any chance at all?"

"I don't know who the boyfriends are for Sango and Kagome, if they actually have any, but I do know that Midori's boyfriend is a guy by the name of Gurio Umino, at least, Shinobu."

"I see. And what of Shingo? How old is he, and does he have a girlfriend at present, by any chance?"

"Shingo is 13, and so is his girlfriend Mika. I'm not sure just how close they are to each other right now, but I still do know they have been dating each other from time to time. I don't believe that they're yet at going-steady stage with each other, but I do know that they're at least dating each other every so often, just the same, Shinobu-chan. So he may not be currently available for anyone else to date here, by the way." Ami soon finished gathering up all her things, and then went inside, leaving Shinobu alone in the hot springs here when she did so.

Shinobu remained alone in the hot springs for a little while, and eventually decided to retire to her own room for the rest of the night. By the time she did so, after first stopping off in the kitchen for a bedtime snack, virtually everyone else was already back in their currently-assigned rooms in the Hinata Apartments. Even the newest tenants of them, for that matter. When Shinobu returned to her own room in them, she soon found both Minako and Usagi quite soundly asleep in them, sleeping in two different sleeping bags. Usagi was in a mostly pink one with bunnies and crescent moons on it, and Minako was in a mostly orange one with hearts and cats on it, in fact.

Shinobu studied them both for a bit, and then suddenly opened a drawer in one of her dressers. She took out a photo album of some sort a few seconds later, and then carried the album over to her bed. Seconds later, after making quite sure that neither blonde girl would wake up again while she had her album out, she opened that album, and began looking at the various items she'd secretly placed in it. Items such as any number of newspaper clippings, for instance, related to any number of Sailor Senshi battles that had taken place over the last few years. Shinobu had secretly been a follower of the Senshi's various adventures for quite some time, and nobody who actually knew her well enough in her life even knew of her interest in such things. Not even her beloved Keitaro, in fact.

While she'd never actually been an unwitting part of them, at least to the best of her current knowledge, she still followed those adventures of theirs to the best of her ability to do just that in her own mortal life. She had this sneaking suspicion, though, that things sufficiently of a Sailor Senshi-type nature were not actually as they now seemed to be to her. In that certain things and/or people of that particular nature were actually much more familiar to her than they now seemed to be, for some rather strange reason or some rather strange reasons, in her own mortal life. Like, perhaps, she might have even been a Sailor Senshi of some yet-unknown sort some length of time ago, somehow. Though she didn't actually know just how and why that might have been, or might now be, the case for her in her life just yet, if she ever would, somehow, ever know in it.

From time to time, as she studied the various items currently in that album of hers, she also shot brief glances at both blondes here. After one such glance at Minako and a glance at one of the pictures in that album, she had a flash, perhaps, of a potential memory related to her and to Sailor Venus. She studied the bow in the picture, and then Minako briefly, once again, before turning back to the picture in question here. Studying that picture again briefly, she suddenly found herself whispering, "Minako is Sailor Venus. If that's so, then the other blonde near her is Usagi as Sailor Moon. By logical extension, then, Ami is Sailor Mercury, Rei is Sailor Mars, and Makoto is Sailor Jupiter. The guy in a tuxedo and top hat, must obviously be Mamoru as Tuxedo Kamen, it seems to me."

As she was musing here, her hands found themselves suddenly rising to her cheeks, as she considered the idea of several of the new tenants for the Apartments actually being Sailor Senshi or their allies. For some rather strange reason or reasons that she couldn't really understand well enough, at least as of the current time, she then felt a wave of great happiness, but also a wave of great concern, at the very same instant that she felt both waves of emotion reach her here. She couldn't help it, but she suddenly whispered, "Oh, dear. It seems that the Hinata System Senshi will have to reawaken as Senshi somehow, though I don't really know just why yet. And so will their Knights, for that matter, if I'm not too mistaken here."

Just then, much to her great surprise, two cats suddenly leapt through her slightly-opened window, and landed near both Usagi and Minako here. She slammed shut her album, not yet understanding why here, and shot a long look towards the still-sleeping blondes here. One cat pounced on Usagi, and the other on Minako. Of course, both girls were quite startled, to say the least, and shot out of their respective sleeping bags almost immediately. Usagi was the first to say anything here, and she shouted, "Ack! What in the blazes is going on? LUNA!"

"Trouble, Usagi, that's what. Artemis and I have detected a new potential enemy force's presence on Earth, and from what little we can gather about them so far, it's going to be a rather difficult one to defeat, if we're not too mistaken here."

Shinobu said, all of a sudden, "That cat talked! Cats can't talk, can they?"

Luna and Artemis turned almost instantly to look at Shinobu, and wondered who she was. A questioning look later towards Usagi, and Usagi said, "Luna and Artemis, meet Shinobu Maehara. She is one of the primary tenants of this place. Shinobu is now, in fact, the effective leader of the primary tenants here, it seems."

Luna and Artemis soon neared Shinobu, after Usagi and Minako urged them to, and sprang to her bed near her here. Shinobu cautiously reached for Luna, and brushed one hand rather accidentally indeed against the crescent moon marking on Luna's forehead. As she did so, she rather suddenly got a flash of another possible memory from the past, somehow. This particular potential memory somehow actually seemed to deal with at least a few Sailor Senshi and their respective Knights, after a rather hard-fought battle against some enemy of theirs. One of those Senshi, in fact, seemed to resemble her quite a bit, if not entirely, for that matter.

As she found herself seeing that flash of a potential memory, she couldn't help but cry out, "No, I don't want to be Sailor Leyua again right now, or at any time in the near future! We don't really need to fight again, do we?"

Luna and Artemis's eyes immediately flashed open at those words from Shinobu here. A look was quickly shared between them both, and they both wondered why Shinobu had said those words, as did their owners Usagi and Minako, of course.

The cats studied Shinobu, as Usagi and Minako tried to calm her down, but to little avail at the present time, at least. All of a sudden, Shinobu ran from her room, not really paying much attention to where her feet were then leading her, crying very loudly as she did so, in fact. Of course, that got everyone rather stirred up in very short order, not the least of them being Keitaro, for the obvious reasons.

Everyone went in search of Shinobu all over the area, whether they were human or feline in nature. At least one of the new residents went with one of the Hinata Apartments' primary residents in various groups as they began trying to find out just where Shinobu had gone off to here, in fact. Ami, Midori, and Luna went with Motoko. Usagi with Rei and Koushoku. Sylvia, Reika, and Mutsumi with Keitaro. Makoto, Sango, and Kagome with Kaolla. And Minako and Artemis with Mitsune, in search of the now-missing Shinobu. As they set off in various groups, Haruka eventually heard them calling out for her, and soon joined up with Mitsune's group.

The five groups searched for quite a while in the area of the Hinata Apartments for her, but none of the groups had any ideas of where she might have gone to until Ami's group began to encounter some cold air somewhat to the west of the Apartments. In fact, they even began to see patches of snow in various places along their current search route in the area. Which led Ami to suspect that Shinobu was finding it very hard to control her emotions, at the very least, at the current time, for that matter.

Using a communicator of sorts that she normally would always carry with her in her life, somehow, Ami soon notified her associates in the other groups about what she and her group's other members had just begun to encounter while searching for Shinobu. They were quite surprised, to put it very mildly, at least, of course, when they heard Ami tell them what she told them by the time Ami was done doing just that here well enough. And they agreed to meet up with her as soon as they possibly could here, quite obviously enough.

Even as she told the other groups' members what she needed to tell them all at present, she and her group's other members still continued to search for Shinobu here, just the same. As they all still frantically searched the local area, then, Ami's group found even more snow appearing periodically as time went on. And they even found even some places where the actual air temperature was much colder than it actually should have been in it at the present time, seeing as it was now June there, in fact. It was so cold now, for that matter, in various places for the Hinata local area, that there were increasingly larger mounds of snow and patches of ice that were then somehow beginning to become more and more common as they all still continued on their current search route in the local area here.

Ami began to get increasingly concerned here, and soon said to Motoko, "I think all this snow and ice here is somehow Shinobu's doing, Aoyama-san. I think she's becoming someone sort of like us all here and now, in fact."

"What do you mean, Mizuno-san?"

Luna looked at Ami briefly, and Ami looked back at her here, and Ami soon said, "Luna, we have no choice here, if what seems to be happening here actually is happening. We have to tell them what Shinobu might be turning into here, even if you might not like it."

Luna whispered in Ami's ear, "Yes, you're right, I don't like it. As much as I'd like you to keep our secret, the Hinata people must know what their friend might be turning into here. Tell them what you have to tell them, then. We'll have to deal with all the necessary ramifications later, of course, then."

"Understood, Luna." Ami then turned to the others then with her, and said, "Motoko, Shinobu seems to be turning into a Sailor Senshi of some sort. Just what kind of Senshi that might be, I'm not quite sure, but it seems she's turning into a Sailor Senshi with certain superpowers similar to my own. Yes, I am a Sailor Senshi, and so are most of my female friends who are now here. Reika and Midori, though, are both not Sailor Senshi, at least not at present, if they'll ever be, or ever were, in their respective lives."

Motoko thought about this for a few seconds, and then asked, "Which Sailor Senshi are you, by any chance, then, Mizuno-san?"

"I am Sailor Mercury. I have powers primarily related to water and ice as a Sailor Senshi," said Ami, as she withdrew a mini-computer from what seemed to be out of thin air to Motoko at the present time. Ami then began to press various buttons on it, in the hopes of being able to somehow locate Shinobu in the very near future, in fact. "I have been a Sailor Senshi ever since the day that I first encountered Usagi and Luna, for that matter."

"So you're Sailor Mercury. I always wondered who she was, by the way."

"Yes, I am. I suppose I'd best transform then, so that I can hopefully have better success in finding her somehow with my mini-computer here, then."

Motoko nodded in agreement, and then Ami said the necessary words, once all four members of her current search group were actually in a safe enough place for her to somehow do that here quite well enough, of course. No more than a few seconds after she said the necessary words, then, Sailor Mercury was then present near Luna, Midori, and Motoko, of course, in the place of Ami Mizuno.

Motoko briefly looked Sailor Mercury over from head to toe, and then said, "That skirt seems rather short indeed, Sailor Mercury."

"Yes, it is, but I normally don't really have a choice about what my Senshi uniforms might look like whenever I'm in any of my currently-available Senshi states of being, unfortunately, Motoko. None of us Senshi ever really do, in terms of our respective uniforms, in fact. Our respective Knight-type allies don't really have a choice either in what any or all of their respective fighting uniforms might look like, normally, either, whenever they're actually in them." Sailor Mercury quickly began to scan the area as best as she then could at a greater level of detail that was normally possible for her whenever she used her mini-computer in her civilian state of being. She soon located the other Senshi on the map that she was then viewing while still scanning for potential traces of Shinobu's vital signs. The other Senshi appeared as blue dots ringed in various colors on her screen, the identified Hinata residents as gold dots, and any number of yet-unidentified sentient beings such as Shinobu, for instance, as brown dots.

As Sailor Mercury and the others then with her here all searched for Shinobu on the dead run, following the snow and ice trails she'd now quite obviously left behind her as she ran away from the Hinata Apartments, Sailor Mercury suddenly saw the dot now representing Motoko on her computer's screen actually begin to flicker between blue and gold, for some yet-unknown reason here. "Stay calm, Motoko, or you might just find yourself becoming one of us as well, I think. Though I don't know just why I think that might just happen to you yet, somehow, if I ever will!"

"Shinobu's in potential danger now, it seems to me! Why should I stay calm?"

"Because if you don't, you may not be able to stop what may come next for you in your life. You do want to help Keitaro out as much as you possibly can, right?"

"Of course I want to help him out as much as I can, considering everything that's ever passed between the both of us in our respective lives, Sailor Mercury." Motoko said this as members of the various other groups began to rejoin them here from various other places in the local area, in fact. Some of those groups' members were, of course, already in any of their respective Senshi states of being when they did so then, for that matter.

"Then you must attempt to control yourself as best as you possibly can for as long as you can somehow do so quite well enough, Motoko," said Sailor Mercury. "Once you become one of us sufficiently well, somehow, certain things will most definitely change for you, and probably many others, permanently. Or for at least as long as you might still actually happen to somehow possess the powers that now seem to be trying to awaken within you here, if not forever, anyway."

Koushoku suddenly came up behind Motoko and said, "She seems to be right, for some reason I can't yet understand, Motoko. We must fight to control ourselves at least until we find Shinobu, for as long as possible, if we can't do it quite that long, somehow."

"I'll do what I can, but if we don't find her soon, it may be too late to keep her from changing permanently, if Sailor Mercury's sufficiently right here about Shinobu, somehow, just the same, Koushoku!"

"Stay calm, Motoko. We'll find her somehow. Just try to control yourself for as long as you can while we still look for her. It may just help everyone out here well enough as we try to get her back safely enough to the Apartments, I hope," said Keitaro.

"Are you sure, Keitaro?" asked Motoko.

"Honestly, no. But I'm still obviously hoping she'll be all right, just the same, of course, Motoko," answered Keitaro, with a great deal of concern for Shinobu then on his face, quite naturally enough.

All of a sudden, Sailor Mercury shouted, "I think I've found her! She's apparently several blocks away to the west, and three of the brown dots on my computer screen have just begun to flicker between being brown and being blue! What's more, one of the brown dots on my screen seems to also be showing traces of gold periodically, leading me to believe that dot's where Shinobu now is!"

"Lead on, then, Sailor Mercury," said Sailor Moon, as Makoto and Minako's groups then began to join up with them as well. Of course, Makoto and Minako were already in their respective Sailor Senshi states of being by then, for all the obvious reasons here.

"As you wish, Sailor Moon." Sailor Mercury soon led them all to what appeared to be a neighborhood park of some sort, based on the data her computer was giving her then, in fact. When they were just outside the park's main entrance, she said, "It might be a good idea for us all to approach her from multiple directions, I think, so that she can't see us all at the same time when we all then try to get to her quite well enough here." She soon indicated various other places where they could hopefully approach her current position in the park from quite well enough. And the nineteen sentient enough beings quickly broke up into groups of four or five at a time, so as to better cut off any potential escape routes she might try to take away from the park, for that matter.

Sailor Moon, Koushoku, Midori, Mitsune, and Luna formed one group. Sailors Mercury and Jupiter, along with Keitaro, Kaolla, and Reika formed another. The third group consisted of Sailors Mars and Skyhorse, along with Mutsumi, Haruka, and Sango, with Sailor Skyhorse actually being Sylvia, by the way. And the fourth group had Sailor Venus, Motoko, Kagome, and Artemis in it, for that matter.

Sailor Moon's group entered the park from a roughly western direction, and Sailor Mercury's group did so from a roughly northern direction. That left Sailor Skyhorse's group to enter from a roughly eastern direction, and Motoko's group to enter from a roughly southern direction. They would hopefully be able to corner Shinobu somehow in or near the middle of the entire park, if they were sufficiently able to prevent her escape from it well enough here, in fact. Or at least, that was their current hope here, anyway.

They all tried to very carefully and very secretly approach her last known position in it, but eventually found themselves blocked by a good-sized semi-translucent dome of some sort about thirty yards in average diameter in the middle of the park. When they tried to pass it, the dome held in such a manner that they weren't able to enter it at all here and now, somehow.

They all soon called out to her, "Shinobu, we know you're in there. Please let us into this dome of sorts. We want to talk to you, if we can!"

"Why should I, everyone? You don't know what it's like to be lonely, not like I do, I believe!"

"Oh, yeah, Shinobu? You think it's been all that easy for me to have to live with the fact that I'll never have a chance to actually be with my parents again in this life? It is rather lonely indeed not having the chance to even talk to them anymore and having them do the same with me as well at the same time!" shouted Sailor Jupiter.

"That may be so, Sailor Jupiter, but you have a steady boyfriend now, while I don't! Among other things!" Shinobu shouted back, just as loudly.

"Maybe so, but what's that have to do with anything?"

"It has quite a lot to do with anything, when the one man that I most truly love in my own life can't actually be just mine forever, somehow, while your dear Shinozaki may very well be yours forever!"

"Sure he can! Just because he might need to father a lot of children with at least one person, in order for him to potentially be saved somehow, that doesn't necessarily mean he can't be just yours forever, Shinobu!"

"Sailor Jupiter, there is no possible way that I somehow will be able to bear at least thirty children of his all by myself within the required time period. I most definitely will have to share him, quite unfortunately, with any number of others, in order for him to possibly ever be able to father all those needed children in the due passage of time before it might be too late to save him somehow!"

Mercury studied the dome for a few moments, as Jupiter began trying to push part of it in as much as she then could. Venus soon said, "Shinobu, I really do know just how you feel, for I've had actually more broken hearts that I really wish to remember in my own life, it seems to me here and now. I've been in your situation countless times, in fact. My first love, though, broke my heart when I was just about half your current age, if my memory serves me well enough here. He broke it when he said I wasn't sufficiently worthy of his true love any longer, and that I was never meant to somehow find an eternal mortal true love in my own life. At that particular time in my own mortal life, I didn't actually know I would be Sailor Venus, much less Sailor V, someday yet in the future, mind you. He generally looked quite a lot like a younger version of your manager, perhaps, with gorgeous chocolate-brown round eyes, short and curly black hair, and moderately-tanned skin, with the cutest little freckled face you might ever possibly imagine. His laughter was rather contagious indeed, and he could often light up a room with just a mere smile. However, when I was about eight years old, he said, 'Your mother is a real tramp,' among many things, including some things not sufficiently fit for me to mention here. Then he told me rather unexpectedly indeed that he never wanted to see me again, if he didn't absolutely have to, one late spring day at our elementary school. I tried to find out why he was saying such things about me and my family, at least, if not also my friends. But I never could do so well enough, quite unfortunately indeed, until some length of time just before I first became Sailor V in my own mortal life. It later turned out that he wasn't entirely human, in truth. And I eventually had to destroy him in battle, much to my immense regret and sorrow, when he then showed his true sufficiently-alien nature and his true feelings about me and about those people that I was then the closest to at that particular time in my life. Just before I eventually had to destroy him, though, he said yet again that I was never actually meant to find such a love as I just told you of here in my own mortal life. I really didn't want to destroy him, of course, for I still had very deep feelings indeed for him. But I still had to do just that, somehow, when he left me absolutely no other realistic enough choice at that time by placing many of my closest friends and dearest relatives in extremely grave danger, if not in truly lethal danger. He was my very first combat kill as Sailor V, and that happened the very first day that I actually became her. Ever since, I've never really forgotten him, and I've always wished that I hadn't had to destroy him just like I did then. And I've never actually loved any other boy or man quite like I loved, and still do love, him, to be totally honest here."

"Is that why you can't keep a steady boyfriend, then, perhaps, Sailor Venus?"

"It may be, Shinobu, but I'll never give up trying, just the same, to find such a love as he told me I would never actually be meant to find. At least until I might actually find one, that is! If I can do that, then why can't you take a chance that things might just work out somehow like you might want them to? Sure, it may not actually happen with Keitaro just like you might want them to, but, then again, they might just do that, somehow, just the same!"

"Are you sure, Sailor Venus?"

"I don't really know what the future holds for everyone, of course, Shinobu, but wouldn't you rather take a chance on finding true love with Keitaro and/or someone else than to just shut your heart away in a cage of ice and snow somehow?"

"I can't exactly do that now. At least not yet! For Keitaro is in rather grave danger now, Sailor Venus, no thanks to any number of non-Terran beings of some yet-unknown kind!"

"So I've heard. Then why don't we try to do something to stop them somehow, if at all possible, before it's too late to do so?"

"How?"

"Let us Senshi and our allies try to help you and your associates find and take care of those who attacked your precious manager, at least, if not anyone else as well, when they did that last September!" called Sailor Venus.

"How can we trust you all well enough in that regard, then?"

"As sure as I am the current leader of Sailor Moon's four Guardian Senshi, I hereby promise you that your current mortal enemies are also our current mortal enemies, for just as long as it then takes for us all to ultimately defeat them as needed, and to ultimately save him, if it actually is somehow possible for us all to do either of those things, if not both of them, Shinobu."

All of a sudden, much to the great surprise of everyone else besides Shinobu, and maybe even to her own great surprise as well, a moderately large hole opened up rather unexpectedly in the top of the dome without warning, and four yet-unidentifiable people then each dropped through it on gliders of some yet-unknown sort. Almost immediately after they did so, the hole closed just as quickly as it had opened no more than thirty or so seconds before.

"What in the blazes just happened here, everyone?" asked Sailor Moon, once she realized sufficiently well that Shinobu was no longer alone inside the dome.

Sailor Mercury soon answered, "Three of the four people that just dropped into the dome are showing potential signs of being either Senshi or of being male allies of theirs. If they're not Senshi now, or male allies of the Senshi now, they very well could prove to be that in the near future. Supposing that the readings I now seem to be getting from them on my mini-computer are sufficiently accurate here and now, of course, everyone."

"Can you possibly identify them, then, Sailor Mercury?" asked Sailor Mars.

"No, not with total certainty, but at least two of them seem to be people that we're already somewhat familiar with in our lives, Mars." Mercury studied her computer's screen for a few minutes, and then exclaimed, all of a sudden, "You've got to be kidding me! How can they be here now?"

"Who?" asked Sailor Skyhorse.

"Sailor Moon's brother and his girlfriend are here, somehow!"

"What? What are you talking about, Mercury?" asked Sailor Moon.

"Your brother Shingo's now in the dome with not only Shinobu and Mika, but he's also with two others I can't quite identify here at the current time. What's more, Sailor Moon, he's not currently in a civilian state of being, and the two others with him, Mika, and Shinobu are not in civilian states of being either!"

"Please don't tell me that he might become a Knight as well, if he hasn't already become one, Mercury!"

"If he hasn't already become one, it seems like he might just become one very soon indeed, Sailor Moon, if the readings I'm getting from him now are sufficiently accurate here, I think," answered Mercury.

All of a sudden, the dome suddenly vanished from around Shinobu and those with her now, and Shinobu soon made her way to where everyone else then was in the park. She wasn't currently in the clothes that she'd been in when she ran away from the Hinata Apartments, but in a fighting uniform of some sort not yet familiar to everyone who'd then been looking for her in that park.

Her fighting uniform's top half currently consisted of a mostly purple sleeveless V-neck-style sweater over a mostly pink long-sleeved blouse, and a mostly medium blue sailor-style collar with a single matching front bow on her chest to secure her sailor-style collar sufficiently well enough. While its lower half currently consisted of a matching knee-length pleated skirt without a matching back bow just above her skirt's waist, and two mostly purple straight-cut knee-length boots with periodic pink and medium blue trim or decorations, wherever and whenever appropriate enough. She soon introduced herself to everyone here, by saying to them all now, "I am Sailor Leyua, the chosen primary Guardian of Water and Dreams for the Hinata System world of Leyua, reawakened to fight evil against my will not only as a mere civilian, but also as a Senshi. Those who are responsible for my return as Sailor Leyua will most certainly pay as best as they possibly can, whenever possible. Beware this same Guardian of Water and Dreams! For if you ever are truly my enemy, somehow, I most certainly will become your worst nightmare to the very best of my ability to do just that, in fact!"

Sailor Leyua then, rather suddenly indeed, quickly drew forth six knives out from what currently seemed to be thin air here to everyone else who was then sufficiently near her in the park, so to speak. She did not only that here, but she also actually drew out two fairly good-sized frying pans, for that matter. After she drew out those knives and frying pans, everyone soon saw that she was holding three knives and one frying pan in each hand. The six knives that were in both her hands now were actually resting between each of her fingers on either hand from inside her index and middle fingers to inside her ring and pink fingers for them both. As for the frying pans' handles, she held them in both hands through a ring formed by her index finger and thumb on each hand, while resting most of them on each hand's palm as she then saw fit to here. Once she'd withdrawn all six knives and two frying pans from where she'd actually gotten them somehow, she then crossed her arms, with her left arm in front of her right one.

"We're not your enemy, Shinobu," said Sailor Moon.

"I am Sailor Leyua, and you may address me as such while I am in this state, Sailor Moon. I would like to introduce you to four of my former and future associates now, if I may."

"Who are they, Sailor Leyua, then?" asked Sailor Moon.

"Come forth, Leyua Knight, Sailor Ersumu, Ersumu Knight, and Lady Kayama."

Four other people soon joined her, at her calling, and she led them to benches near everyone here with her now. Both Knights now actually wore somewhat similar outfits to each other here, while Sailor Ersumu wore a slightly different style of fighting uniform than did Sailor Leyua. As for Mika, called "Lady Kayama" by Shinobu as Sailor Leyua here, she was currently in a dress colored much the same as Sailor Leyua's uniform was. But her dress was still somewhat simple in style, with a slightly less child-like look to it here, seeing as Mika now was about two months past her thirteenth birthday, in fact.

Leyua Knight now wore a mostly purple and medium blue suit of armor with a mostly cyan and lilac cape or cloak of some sort. And there were also periodic cyan and lilac trim or decorations on the suit of armor, wherever and whenever appropriate enough. In each of his hands, he now held a sword that was roughly two feet long, more or less, not including their respective hilts. Two scabbards were also X-crossed on his back, and both bore certain designs on them as appropriate for them both. Both swords and both scabbards, in fact, bore such designs on them, for that matter, wherever necessary for them all.

The top half of Sailor Ersumu's fighting uniform currently consisted of a mostly black long-sleeved hooded non-V-neck-style sweater over a mostly gray blouse, and a mostly peppermint pink sailor-style collar with a matching front bow to secure her sailor-style collar sufficiently well. While its lower half currently consisted of a black denim skirt with a peppermint pink back bow just above her skirt's waist in the back attached to her blouse through a small keyhole-like opening near her sweater's hem, a pair of gray leggings, and mostly black snow boots with periodic gray and peppermint pink trim or decorations, wherever and whenever appropriate enough. In one hand, she held a katana-like weapon with a mostly gray hilt bearing several small black onyx-like gemstones on it, and its similarly-covered mostly gray scabbard was hanging from a chained belt around her waist, for that matter here. And in the other, she held a long-barreled shotgun with four chute-like rectangular barrels in a configuration that had two of them sitting on top of the other two. This particular shotgun of hers would allow her to periodically shoot twelve-pointed throwing stars at her opponents in battle if and whenever possible and desired for her, in fact. Also, somewhere on her person, there was a currently-sheathed wakizashi-like weapon. Though just where it was on it, she was not currently inclined to say, for various reasons known only to her here and now.

Ersumu Knight's current fighting uniform now consisted of a mostly black and red suit of armor with a mostly gray and brown cape or cloak of some sort, and periodic gray and brown trim or decorations on the suit of armor, wherever and whenever appropriate enough. He held a certain bladed weapon that was very similar to Sailor Ersumu's katana-like weapon in one hand, and a good-sized deck of a yet-unknown kind of cards in his other, which he'd withdrawn from somewhere on his own person just before Shinobu called him over to where everyone else then was in the park other than Sailors Leyua and Ersumu, Leyua Knight, and Mika Kayama. And he also had another currently-sheathed wakizashi-like weapon somewhere on his person as well, by the way.

As for Mika herself here, she was now wearing a mostly purple and medium blue dress that now fell to just about her knees, more or less. It actually bore several dozen somewhat small pink and medium blue decorations on it, wherever and whenever appropriate enough, And most, if not all, of those various decorations looked like miniaturized and stylized versions of assorted animals or flowers that were actually native to Leyua, quite naturally enough. A mostly purple and medium blue sash of some sort that ran from her left shoulder to her right hip then completed the present look of her current dress. On her feet, she now wore a pair of mostly medium blue open-toed purple-buckled sandals, and her hands were currently empty here, for that matter.

The others studied Sailor Leyua's current companions here for quite a while, and eventually Motoko asked, "Sailor Leyua, won't you return with us to the Hinata Apartments now, please?"

"Why should I, Aoyama? I am in the mood to hunt for those who caused my reawakening, in fact."

"Can't you do that later, when the rest of us are able to better have an idea where they might be, by any chance?" asked Motoko.

"Why not now?"

Mercury suddenly whispered secretly in Keitaro's nearest ear to him, "Talk to her, Keitaro, and see if you can calm her down enough. If you can do so well enough here, she might actually power down here, and then we can all go back to the Apartments with each other here for at least a little while, if not a long while." Keitaro listened to her very briefly, and then nodded to her just as secretly as she'd just whispered to him here.

Keitaro said, "If you can wait on that, for at least a little while, I'll take you out on a date for just the two of us whenever you want us both to have one with each other, Sailor Leyua. I'll take you wherever you want, and I'll cover everything for the date in question, if you really want me to, in fact, for that matter."

Sailor Leyua considered that in relative silence for at least a few minutes, and then said, "Very well, Senpai, I shall wait for at least a little while to go after them, then, just because I really love you and want to do what I possibly can to make the rest of your life as pleasant as I can here, you know. But not too long, mind you. For you only have a certain amount of time left before you actually do leave us just because of them, it seems to me here and now."

"I understand, Sailor Leyua. Now can we please go back to the Apartments here like Motoko suggested, before it gets too late at night for us all to be out here?"

"How late is it now, in fact?" asked Sailor Leyua.

Midori looked at her watch, and said, "It's just after two in the morning, Sailor Leyua."

Sailor Leyua considered this information for a little bit, and then said, "Very well, we shall return to the Hinata Apartments shortly. Keitaro, I want you to accompany me and my current companions back there, if you don't mind too much."

"What about the others, then?"

"They can make their own ways back there, I'm quite sure. As for them, they don't need to accompany us back there with them, for I need to talk to you for a bit without them around. Leyua Knight, I want both you and Lady Kayama to guard our backs here while we chat and make our own way back to the Apartments. Sailor Ersumu and Ersumu Knight, I want you to guard our fronts and to make sure that everyone else leaves us alone here for those same Apartments, even as we chat and make our own way back to them."

All of Sailor Leyua's companions then did as she'd just told them to do here and now, by the way. And everyone else acceded to her current wishes on that particular matter here, even if they did so rather reluctantly here, of course. People like Sailor Venus, for instance, in fact.

When Keitaro and Sailor Leyua were sufficiently alone again here, Sailor Leyua then placed all her knives and both frying pans she'd been holding for a while back where she'd gotten them from. Which, in fact, was a subspace pocket of some sort, of course. Then she pulled a hidden necklace out from under her uniform blouse's collar, once she'd unbuttoned the first two buttons on that blouse, just under that collar, and showed him a brooch attached to its base in the approximate shape of a certain aquatic animal primarily native to Leyua. She soon removed that brooch's necklace from around her neck, as she then led him to a certain bench near the park entrance that Sailor Skyhorse's group had used to enter the park through. At her request, then, Keitaro sat down on that bench that she was about to sit down on as well. She then sat down somewhat near him on it, but still not quite next to him on it, and carefully placed her brooch on her lap as she did so.

"Keitaro, I don't really want to have to do this sort of thing ever again. When I unintentionally touched Luna's forehead like I did earlier just before I ran off, I got a flash of a potential memory of mine. A number of Sailor Senshi and their various allies had just been part of a rather hard-fought battle against some enemy of theirs. And one of them, rather strongly indeed, somehow seemed to resemble me. The next thing that I can somehow recall sufficiently well here is running off somewhere, and eventually ending up in this very same park here. I don't entirely remember just how, just why, and just when I came here, though. But I still do know I actually came here somehow, just the same, quite obviously enough here." She began fingering her brooch somewhat unconsciously as she also looked all around the mostly-empty park for a while here, with her now-sad eyes not actually directed at either him or her brooch.

"Obviously, Sailor Leyua. Do you know who the others are that were with you earlier, in terms of their civilian states, by any chance at all, if they weren't in them when we saw them?" Keitaro began studying her face as she asked her that here and now.

"No, actually, I don't seem to remember who they truly are in their respective civilian states. At least not at the current time, anyway. They seem somewhat familiar to me somehow, though I don't know just why right now, if I ever will, Keitaro. Almost like I've periodically encountered them before somehow any number of other times. Along with numerous others, for some yet-unknown reason to me right now." Sailor Leyua suddenly began to call back some of the snow and ice that she'd left in various places all over the park with several gestures she then made with her right hand, even as her brooch was held in place on her lap with her left hand.

"And you're quite afraid that you might actually lose sufficient enough control over yourself whenever you're like this, somehow, Sailor Leyua?"

"Yes, Keitaro. I don't really want to be forced to kill any number of evil beings ever again in my life. You know quite well by now that I am generally a kind and gentle soul in my life, who would generally not prefer to hurt anyone or anything needlessly in if I didn't actually have to." As she still continued to call back the snow and ice that she'd deposited all over the park, she also began to move somewhat closer to him on their park bench, as if she was somehow drawn to him like the proverbial moth to a flame, so to speak.

"Yes, you are, Sailor Leyua. As am I, your dear Senpai."

"I don't like this whole situation of ours one little bit, you know, Keitaro." She began to look at her brooch for at least a few minutes in relative silence right after she said that here, in fact.

"I truly happen to believe you can actually maintain quite sufficient control over yourself whenever you're like this somehow, generally, Sailor Leyua." He tried to cheer her up by giving her one of the smiles he would often send her way whenever she appeared to be rather sad about something in her life.

"And what if I can't, Keitaro? What if someone really close to me dies because I couldn't do just that well enough? Then what? It's already bad enough that we're definitely going to lose you once and for all unless we can somehow manage to come up with a suitable enough cure before it's finally too late to actually save you with it!"

"I'm not actually dead just yet, Sailor Leyua. And I fully intend to stay alive for just as long as I possibly can, no matter what. Yes, I know quite well indeed that there's not a known cure for what I have just yet, and what any number of others may also have without their knowledge in their respective lives. But I still do believe very strongly indeed in you all here. That's if any of you can ever possibly find a cure in time, somehow, and which won't perhaps require at least one kind, if not more than one kind, of divine intervention as well, of course. I'd most certainly put my money on any or all of the whole lot of you actually doing so, if such a case might ever be possible here somehow, in fact. Supposing, of course that I were actually a betting man, generally-speaking, in my own mortal life, which you know I'm not. Unlike Mitsune, quite obviously enough."

"Keitaro, you mean the world to me, you know."

"Yes, I know, Sailor Leyua. But we're all destined to die eventually, unless we somehow make it out of this life alive, you know. As much as I really don't want to die, I most likely will, before everything else that needs to be done in this Universe happens as it needs to happen, I think."

"I know. But that still doesn't make the thought of losing you any more pleasant to me here, just the same, my beloved Senpai."

"I realize that. But you can't deny that while we're all still mortal, many, if not all, of us will still die, just the same, no matter what we might ever try to do to prevent it or to prolong our respective lives to at least some degree, if not totally, Sailor Leyua."

"No, I suppose not, Keitaro."

"Let's go back to the Apartments now, then, if you don't mind too much, Sailor Leyua. I think we should both try to get some sleep again in the very near future, if we possibly can, before we drop from sheer exhaustion and before we won't be any real good to anyone else for at least a little while, then. Do you know how to power down here, somehow, by any chance?"

"Let me think here, Senpai." Sailor Leyua thought for a few brief moments here, and then said, "I think I can actually do just that here, in fact. But first, I think we need to make absolutely sure that nobody else is sufficiently near us here and now to actually be able to hear, see, or detect me doing just that here, somehow, of course," answered Sailor Leyua then actually finished calling the rest of the ice and snow she'd left behind while she'd been away from the Hinata Apartments like she still was back as needed here.

A few minutes later, at most, as Keitaro temporarily faced away from her to give her at least a little bit of privacy here, if not a lot of it, Sailor Leyua then said, "Blizzard Cascade Power, Disengage!" It took her perhaps just about a few seconds, at most, to power down and become just Shinobu Maehara again here, in fact. When she finally powered down completely here, the clothes that she'd been wearing when she'd run away from the Hinata Apartments all of a sudden reappeared on her person, in very short order indeed, of course.

As soon as they actually had done so quite well enough to suit her sufficiently well here, then, Shinobu then said, "You can turn around again now, Keitaro. Let's go home now, if you don't mind."

Keitaro then said, "You might want to hide that brooch of yours here, Shinobu, I think."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Just let me put it back where it needs to be kept, then." Shinobu then briefly opened her subspace pocket of a sort, and stashed her brooch in it as needed, just as quickly and as safely as she could here, in fact. With that done well enough to suit her here sufficiently enough, she then asked, "Keitaro, would you please give me a piggyback ride all the way back to the Apartments?"

"Of course I can. You shouldn't be too hard to take back there like that, I think. Go ahead and climb on my back, if you so choose, then, Shinobu." He briefly knelt down on the ground so that she could climb on his back, and she soon did so. No more than one or two minutes later, at most, then they were both heading back to the Hinata Apartments at a relatively decent, yet not too fast speed here, for all the obvious reasons here, of course.

The both of them arrived back at the Apartments by 2:50 in the morning of June 12, 1993, surrounded at a respectable enough distance from her and Keitaro by the four other people who'd been with Shinobu inside the dome she'd erected as Sailor Leyua while everyone was still in the park they'd all just left quite a while before. By the time the six of them finally made their ways up the stairs outside the Apartments, then, they were all in their civilian states of being, no matter what they all were, in fact.

Shinichi Kudo and Ran Mouri were the first to arrive at the front doors to the Apartments, followed not too far behind by Keitaro and Shinobu. Keitaro carried Shinobu to a couch in the living room, and soon turned her over to Motoko, who then carried her upstairs to her room with a little help from Koushoku here. By the time he did so, Shingo Tsukino and Mika Kayama were already at the front doors, in fact.

"Where should we bunk, then, Urashima-san?" asked Shingo, once Keitaro let them enter the Apartments here quite well enough.

"Tsukino-san and Kudo-san, since you two and I seem to be the only males currently present here, you're going to have to bunk temporarily with me, of course. As for Kayama-san, I think one of the other girls will be glad to share a room at least for the rest of the night with her here. Same thing with Mouri-san."

"Of course we would, Keitaro," said Kaolla. "She can stay with me, if she wants. I don't think Rei and Sango would mind too much here."

"Are you sure you have enough room for a third roommate in your room, Kaolla-san?" asked Rei.

"Sure I do. I love having a good number of people in my room quite often, in fact, Rei-san."

"Urashima-san, do you think it would be unwise for Mika to stay in Kaolla-san's room for the rest of the night, by any chance at all?" asked Sango.

"No, I don't think so, Sango-san. Kaolla, you don't have anything lying around that could potentially pose a danger to any of your temporary roommates right now, do you?" asked Keitaro.

"No, I secured everything away just as quickly and as safely as I could once I realized just who was going to be staying in my room here for at least a little while, Keitaro. There shouldn't be any good enough reason why Mika shouldn't be able to stay in my room for the rest of the night, then."

"I see. Very well, Kaolla. I'll have her stay with you for at least the rest of the night, then. But if anything not good happens to her while she's staying there with you, Rei, and Sango, then we might have to have a little discussion with you about certain things, of course."

"Gotcha, Kei-baby. Let's go, then, Mika, if you don't mind too much here."

"Shingo, I hope this isn't a big mistake here on my part here, of course."

Shingo studied Kaolla somewhat briefly here and now, and soon said to his somewhat concerned girlfriend, "I don't think it is, if you watch where you're going in her room sufficiently well, Mika. I don't know just why here and now, though. But I still do have this somewhat strange feeling now that you'll be safe enough there for at least the rest of the current night, if not even longer than that, just the same."

Mika looked briefly back at her boyfriend, and then said, "Very well, Shingo. I'll trust your judgement here, then. I just hope that it isn't actually a mistake here, just the same." Mika then picked up her things, and said, "All right, Su-san, go ahead and lead me to your room, then. Perhaps Rei-san and Sango-san should do so too, for that matter here and now."

"Of course, Kayama-san. Follow us all, then, if you please." Mika soon left the living room with Kaolla, Rei, and Sango for Kaolla's room in the Apartments.

Keitaro then asked which of the other primary tenants for the Apartments would be willing to let Ran sleep in their room for the rest of the night. Mutsumi volunteered her room here, and Keitaro soon asked, "Mutsumi, are you sure you're really willing to take in a third temporary roommate here and now, at least for the rest of the night?"

"Of course I am, Kei-kun. What's one more girl in my room? I mean, I do have a room where at least six people can perhaps sleep in it well enough, I think."

"I really do hope that it won't actually come to that here at all, of course, Mutsumi," said Keitaro.

"We'll just have to see about that, right, Kei-kun?" She briefly got an amused look, and then a spaced-out look, on her face before looking somewhat straight-faced at him again here.

"I suppose you're right, Mutsumi."

"Good, Kei-kun. Now that that's settled, Mouri-san, let's get your things up to my room here, if you don't mind too much?"

"Very well, Otohime-san. But I carry my own things, if you don't mind, please."

"As you wish, Mouri-san. Let's all go to bed, then, Sylvia and Ami."

"Of course, Otohime-san," said Ami.

As the four young women began to head up to Mutsumi's room in the Apartments, Sylvia secretly asked Keitaro, in a very low voice that only she and him could then hear well enough, "Mutsumi is often a girl who seems to space out mentally, right?"

"Yes, I suppose you could say that. Not that that's a bad thing here, of course. She reminds me a lot of your associate Usagi, for some yet-unknown reason, though, at least in terms of how bubbly she normally seems to be in her own life. Usagi is quite bubbly indeed in her own life, is she not?"

"Very much so. She's almost always that way whenever I see her, except during one of her battles with her boyfriend or at certain other times in her life. Times I'm not currently at real liberty to discuss with you sufficiently well, though, if I'll ever be at such liberty, in my own mortal life, at least."

"Understood. Now I suppose the rest of us better hit the bed before it's late to get enough sleep tonight, of course, Wakefield-san."

"Point taken, Urashima-san." Everyone else still in the living room soon withdrew to all the other necessary rooms that they each had to withdraw to here, for all the obvious reasons, of course. No matter where they might just be at all anywhere in the Apartments. And so everyone in them soon slept quite soundly in those various rooms there, for that matter.

* * *

That concludes Chapter Three of _The One You Miss Most_. Please stay tuned for many more surprises in this story, no matter what they might be, everyone. I will try to bring in at least a few more of the necessary other characters for this particular story in the next chapter, especially if they're known male allies of the Senshi, in fact. Until next time, then, people, I'll sign off here, and wish you all well while I plan and/or write at least the next chapter or two of this story here. TUS out.


	4. Chapter Four: The Males Begin Moving In

Here's the possibly long-awaited fourth chapter to this story here, everyone. Much will happen in it, and I hope you all will somehow like quite considerably whatever's present in it. There are some quite informative parts in it here, and even some bits of romance and/or comedy thrown in. Not to mention a rather difficult battle indeed that's related quite significantly indeed to the Annex, for that matter. I don't really want to spoil the chapter too much more than that, if I've spoiled it at least a little by now. Which I really hope I haven't done here, of course. So I will cut this particular introduction to the chapter below as short as I possibly can, then. Not all of the necessary players for this story here will actually happen to appear on the scene here just yet, for sure. But they're all getting here just as quickly as I can actually find sufficient enough room for each of them in this story, I promise, to all you readers. A certain number of other characters will appear in Chapter Five, but just who they might be, I haven't yet decided well enough. When I do, you'll see them as soon as I feel it's necessary for them to appear in this story of mine here. Now, without further ado, if I may, I hereby give you Chapter Four of _The One You Miss Most_, and I hope you all really enjoy it at least to some considerable enough degree, if not to a great degree, here, by the way! TUS out!

* * *

Chapter Four: The Boys and Men Begin Moving In

* * *

About three or four days later, Shinobu and Keitaro asked the currently-present Sol System Senshi to attempt breaking and permanently removing the now-current curse on the nearby Annex. Sailor Moon and her fellow now-present Senshi discussed it with each other for a little while, and soon all agreed to see what they could all possibly do in order to break and permanently remove the curse placed long before on the Annex. However, they also said that they might somehow have a considerably better chance to do just that if at least a few, if not a lot, more of their current allies were then quite available to aid them well enough here. The Hinata crew really hoped that they could somehow do it very soon quite well indeed, of course. But they still all realized that it might be best for the aforementioned Senshi to wait in attempting to do just that until such time as their male allies finally arrived as needed on the scene.

While everyone waited for the necessary males to arrive at the Hinata Apartments, then, they all began to either prepare for an imminent round-the-world trip or prepare for the aforementioned males' arrivals there as best as they then could in them. Haruka quite quickly and quite carefully stockpiled all the needed items that might possibly be required somehow while Seta was temporarily running things at the Tea Shop, to the best of her current ability here and now, in fact. And she also periodically helped everyone currently at the Apartments out as needed with their various preparations, for that matter. She really didn't like the idea of having to actually entrust the running of her Tea Shop to Seta temporarily. But she also wanted to make quite sure Keitaro and everyone else would be just fine while they were all still far away from the Hinata Apartments with each other, if she possibly could. And she also wanted to make quite sure that, when they all finally came back to the Hinata Apartments, they all would be in at least as good condition as they'd been in when Keitaro's traveling party actually set off on their trip, if at all possible, of course.

As they all prepared for their trip around the world, the soon-to-travel members of the Hinata crew then asked for at least a few, if not a lot, of suggestions somehow related to possible tourist stops on that upcoming world trip of theirs. Sylvia suggested Jerusalem, for instance. Minako suggested London and Los Angeles. Ami suggested Rio De Janeiro. While Makoto suggested Paris. Usagi suggested New York City and Washington, among at least a few other such places. Rei suggested Honolulu. And Reika said, "Africa is often quite good too, I think, everyone. I found quite a lot of adventure there a few years ago, in fact." The rest of the new tenants had no other real suggestions as potential tourist-type stops for the soon-to-be-traveling Hinata crew, though. Or at least not at the current time, anyway.

The soon-to-be-traveling members of the Hinata crew eventually decided between themselves, after much considerably deep discussion about those potential tourist stops of theirs, that they'd all visit the United States, Brazil, Israel, and Australia on their round-the-world trip, if at all possible. Once that was finally decided sufficiently well here, then, they all soon decided just where to go in those particular countries, if they could all possibly go in them on that trip of theirs. Keitaro soon began making inquiries about potential costs for the trip in question here, of course. Even while also considering the current financial state of things for the Hinata Apartments here, in fact.

He soon learned that it would perhaps be best for all concerned, both financially and travel-wise, if the aforementioned trip of theirs actually began no later than July 3, Japanese time. So he soon booked the necessary tickets for everyone in his planned traveling party as needed. They often cost quite a bit of money here, in fact, of course. But it couldn't really be helped much, if any little bit, at all here, simply because it wasn't just a one-person trip around the world such tickets were needed for here and now, quite obviously enough. He didn't happen to book them all into overly expensive places to stay while they were on their trip. But he also didn't book them all into overly cheap places either, for that matter. All in all, the minimum costs for this imminent round-the-world trip of theirs here probably were somewhere around 20,000 American Dollars, more or less, for all seven of them. If not even higher than that, for all the obvious reasons here.

With the desired destinations set and the necessary tickets ordered and/or booked, then, they all soon found any number of other things to do, whether they actually had anything at all to do with packing their required luggage for that imminent trip of theirs or not. For instance, Shinobu and Midori eventually decided to spend some time with each other in the Hot Springs, and get to know each other at least a little bit better, if at all possible, for them both. The others, however, chose not to join them when they did so, for some unknown reason or reasons.

* * *

When they were sufficiently alone in the hot springs with each other, and quite sure that Keitaro wouldn't accidentally walk in on them, among other things, Shinobu asked, "How long, exactly, have you known Usagi, if you don't mind me asking too much, Midori-san?"

"I have known her ever since we were very young, Maehara-san. It took me a while to find out that my best friend was a Sailor Senshi, but eventually I learned it. Not intentionally, on either of our parts, but it still happened, just the same. She became one the day that the Dark Kingdom sent a monster to drain customers at my mother's jewelry store in Azabu Juuban, though I didn't actually know it at that time. She looked quite a lot like Sailor Moon, and vice versa. But I didn't actually somehow make the connection that Usagi was Sailor Moon, and vice versa, until I saw her unintentionally power down during a particular battle in which she was trying to protect me and a good number of other people from at least a few monsters that belonged to one of the evil forces that she and her various associates were then opposing. Fortunately for all of us and for her, a number of other Senshi and their various allies saved us from those monsters somehow. The following weekend, I learned quite a bit about what it was like for her and all of her various associates to do what they generally had to do whenever the need arose for them to do so. I even became one of them for a time, and fought alongside them for a while, as needed, when needed. Various other people eventually did so as well, including you, if I'm not mistaken here. I do not currently have the powers that I had then, but I have a feeling that I will be drawn back into the life of a Senshi here, somehow. I have only fragmented memories of my time as a Senshi, at present, as I believe you also do, for some reason I can't quite explain right now."

"Yes, it seems you're right about my memories of being Sailor Leyua. I was Sailor Leyua a while ago, it seems to me, in this time period, at least. What do you know of the Silver Millennium, then?" Shinobu asked that question as she began to help Midori wash her back here at least a little bit.

"From what I can recall, it was when there was a Kingdom ruled from the Moon about a thousand or so years ago. It also seems that I was somehow around then, at least a little bit, before the Moon Kingdom eventually fell due to an invasion of it by an evil society called the Dark Kingdom, if memory serves me well enough here. That Dark Kingdom ruined all the planets besides Earth in this solar system, but was eventually trapped within Queen Serenity's Imperium Silver Crystal. Many sentient beings were somehow sent to the future after actually having been placed in suspended animation of a sort, as needed or desired by Queen Serenity. I suppose that I, and many others, were among those sentients sent to the future, to have more peaceful lives, if at all possible. Eventually, though, the Dark Kingdom broke the seal that Queen Serenity had placed on them with her Imperium Silver Crystal and battled with several Senshi and their allies for a time before ultimately being defeated. Of course, the Senshi and their allies won the ultimate battle against the Dark Kingdom and their forces. After they were, Usagi could have restored the Moon Kingdom, but it seems that she hasn't yet done so, if she ever actually will do so, in her life. After the Senshi defeated the Dark Kingdom, another force that called themselves the Dark Moon Family, AKA the Black Moon Family, if I'm not too mistaken here, eventually came to Earth, this one from the distant future. They lost as well to the Senshi and their allies. Usagi didn't actually restore the Moon Kingdom at that time, either. I suppose she still wanted us all to have as normal a life as we could then have, for that matter."

"Who came after the Dark Moon Family, then?" asked Shinobu, once Midori's back was done sufficiently well to satisfy her well enough here.

"The Death Busters, AKA the Heart-Snatchers. They and their superiors sought to awaken an evil entity and ultimately lost, as well. It was the hardest fight that many of us had ever seen in this time period, and it only ended earlier this month, in fact. I wasn't actually part of that rather long fight, for my services as a Senshi weren't then needed. They were needed during the Dark Moon Family fight, but not this past major one."

"So do you think you're going to be needed during the next major conflict for the Senshi and their allies?"

"Yes, I think I will. And so will many others, including you, in fact."

"I don't want to fight, in truth, Midori-san." Midori soon began to help Shinobu wash her own back, in return for Shinobu helping Midori wash hers earlier.

"Yes, I know. None of us really ever want to fight. But it seems that this prospective new evil force is at least partly after your precious manager. From what I've heard so far around here, you really love him, and would do almost anything to see that he survives quite well enough. Am I right?"

"Yes, of course you are. I want to see just that happen, if at all possible. I don't even want to lose him in the first place. I love him more than any other male I've ever known in my life, and it'll break my heart to lose him, even if it's only for a little while, at least, if not a long while!"

"Just the way that I'd expect you to feel about your first love, Maehara-san. I am not with my first love now, in fact. Though I still think of him quite often. At least one, if not more than one, version of me, though, does ultimately end up with him for life, it seems."

"I don't understand." The two of them soon set aside their bathing supplies for at least a little while, and found some places to just relax near each other in the hot springs for at least a little while.

"My first love served the Dark Kingdom for a time. One version of him that served the Dark Kingdom got killed by a youma before the Senshi could save him, which was the one that I actually fell in love with. Another version that did the same as the version of him that got killed by the youma defected to the Sailor Senshi side of things after a premature temporary awakening of Princess Serenity, and he now fights alongside the Senshi every so often, if and whenever the need arises and he can possibly do so. Another version of him that did the same as the already-mentioned versions of him defected as well to the Senshi side, and his Senshi counterpart is a version of Sailor Jupiter, who is also his girlfriend. Other versions of him that I know of, I don't really know much about. At least not right now, if I ever will, anyway."

"Interesting. So what's the story with you and your boyfriends, then?"

"In at least one now-known timeline, I end up with Nephlyte. In at least one other, I end up with Gurio, my current boyfriend. And in at least one other, believe it or not, I end up with your manager, somehow. In any number of others, however, I don't actually end up with any of the three of them, Though I don't think this particular timeline of ours is one of the third variety I just mentioned here. I am beginning to suspect that it might be one of the second kind, for some yet-unknown reason, Maehara-san."

"How do you know of these various versions of you, Nephlyte, and/or Jupiter, then, Midori-san?"

"We Juubanites have an associate that has Senshi-type powers related to time, and her Senshi identity is Sailor Pluto. She often stands guard at a rather lonely place simply called, for lack of a better description, 'the Time Gates,' and from what little I currently know of her, she has to stand guard there practically all the time, unless her powers as a Senshi require her presence in any battles that the Senshi and their allies might find themselves fighting in."

Shinobu considered this information for quite some time in relative silence, and eventually asked Midori, "I know that Sailor Moon is the overall leader of the Senshi. I also know that Mercury primarily has water-based powers, Mars fire-based powers, Jupiter electricity-based powers, and Venus love-based powers. But what do the other Senshi have their powers generally based on, as far as you know?"

"Tuxedo Kamen mainly has earth-based powers, it seems to me here and now. I think Saturn has death-based powers, Uranus space-related powers, and Neptune ocean-based powers. I quite often have used, myself, various Senshi-type powers or Senshi-type forms of my very own, by the way. And I've even pretended to be other Senshi from time to time, either as Sailor Metamorpha or as Sailor Chameleon, in fact. I'm not too clear on what numerous other Senshi powers for any number of other known Sailor Senshi are based on at present. But it seems you're actually a Sailor Senshi who mainly deals with water, ice, and dreams whenever you're in any of your various Senshi forms. At least in terms of what your own Sailor Senshi powers are primarily, if not entirely, based on, Maehara-san. Sailor Venus is the leader of Sailor Moon's Guardian Senshi, and her fellow Guardian Senshi are Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter. Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, at least, we don't often see a lot of around where we all generally live in Tokyo, in terms of Senshi battles, if I'm not too mistaken here. We sometimes even see the Sailor Senshi known as Sailors Chibi Moon and Skyhorse, at least, in Tokyo, if and whenever the need actually somehow arises for them to also fight alongside us in battle."

"Who is Sailor Chibi Moon?"

"Sailor Chibi Moon is the future daughter of Usagi and Mamoru, it seems, from what Usagi once told me during the Dark Moon conflict. She shares a name with her mother, so we often call her Chiba-Usa or Small Lady, so as not to confuse things with them whenever they're near enough to each other in our time period." Midori reached behind the rock that her own bathing supplies were next to, and withdrew a completely waterproof photo album of her own from the bag that she'd earlier taken her bathing supplies out of when she'd entered the hot springs with Shinobu.

"You have at least one Senshi-related photo album as well?"

"Of course I do. We all do, in fact. At least those of us who have been Senshi or their allies before, anyway, Maehara-san." Midori soon opened the album to a particular page that had several pictures of Chiba-Usa, both in and out of civilian form. Once she did that well enough to suit her here, she handed the album to Shinobu, after Shinobu came close enough to her to receive it from her.

"You sure you want me to look through this album of yours, Midori-san?"

"I obviously wouldn't have done so if I hadn't now, would I?"

"No, perhaps not."

"Just be as careful as you can be with it here, then, for I'd really hate to have to let Usagi know I'd need to have it replaced somehow, Maehara-san."

"Call me Shinobu, or Shinobu-chan, please, if you don't mind too much, then. Simply because I suppose that we'll often have to work with each other against this evil force that went after at least Keitaro earlier, if not anyone else as well, in the near future, if not for at least the foreseeable future or longer."

"Then you all might as well call me Midori-senpai, Midori-chan, or just Midori, if at all possible and/or appropriate for us while we're still associating with each other in our respective lives."

"Fair enough, I suppose," said Shinobu. Just then, Shingo called out from behind a wooden fence separating the hot springs from the rest of the grounds, and asked Shinobu when she might want to start making lunch for everyone now on the grounds of the Hinata Apartments.

"Why do you ask, Shingo-kun?"

"My sister Usagi is hunting for something rather sweet to eat now, and if she doesn't get fed soon, I suspect that she might start searching for it wherever she might think there might be such food here in the Apartments. You had best get in here as soon as possible, I suppose. She's most especially looking for chocolate right now, and I think I caught a whiff or two of it from somewhere near Koushoku and Urashima's rooms at least once or twice."

"Oh, great! If she somehow finds the chocolate I bought for Keitaro two days ago, then she'll evidently get really hyper, from what I accidentally heard last night when Rei, Mika, Sango and Kaolla were all on their respective ways to bed. I hope Kaolla didn't accidentally hit it or unintentionally contaminate it with something to make it even more attractive to someone like Usagi!" shrieked Shinobu, as she quickly set the album near where she'd been sitting, and as she fled into the changing room, with Midori not too far behind her as well.

Seconds later, both Shinobu and Midori were somehow sufficiently decent, in terms of being covered, and beating a path right to Keitaro's room. When they both finally got there, Usagi was being restrained outside it by not only Rei and Minako, but also Makoto and Ami, somehow, with quite considerable effort indeed. As she then was so restrained, Motoko, Koushoku, Sylvia, Kagome, and Sango were each then doing what they themselves possibly could in order to make sure that Usagi couldn't get into Keitaro's room and root for that chocolate that Shinobu had just mentioned to Midori here. The struggle continued for at least ten minutes after Shinobu got there, and only ended after a rather sudden appearance indeed by Queen Serenity herself. It was only an appearance in the exact same manner as she'd earlier appeared at least twice before in the hot springs, though, and not in actual solid physical form. Therefore suggesting to all twelve people now outside Keitaro's room that it was a vision of Queen Serenity as she'd once been sometime during the Silver Millennium that they were all seeing here, in fact.

"Mother, is that you?" asked Usagi, all of a sudden, once she finally got a good enough look at Queen Serenity here. Her struggling against her current restrainers stopped almost immediately after Queen Serenity's appearance, and Usagi soon knelt down on the floor outside Keitaro's room here, as Queen Serenity actually somehow also moved here in order to do the same.

"Of course it is, Serenity. Of course it is. I can't talk for a very long time here and now, in truth, but Sailor Pluto actually decided to give me a rather-unexpected surprise birthday present of some sort here and now. You now are seeing me as I actually was when you were still just twelve Terran calendar years old back on the Moon during the Silver Millennium, in fact. At this time, the current year is AD 989, by the Earth's calendar. She allowed me to get a brief glimpse of the future, and it seems that I just got here in time to somehow manage to then keep you from actually finding the chocolates that someone special bought for Keitaro a little while ago. If you'd have found them, and gotten to them well enough to eat them, then many things would have been much worse for you and the Sol System Senshi, from what Sailor Pluto told me, in your current time period. They're actually from a certain world that's not anywhere at all in this particular solar system of the Universe. And, as such, your eating of those very same chocolates would've perhaps allowed your next enemy or enemies to better find you and/or the Imperium Silver Crystal, at least, if not anyone or anything else as well, for that matter. Remember, Serenity, both you and Endymion are not originally from the exact same world in our own solar system. While you both now are in your current time period, you both still carry the heritage of your respective worlds with you in your own mortal lives. As such, those chocolates would most likely have made it much, much, much, harder for you to keep your next enemy or enemies from somehow finding at least you and/or the Imperium Silver Crystal, if not anyone or anything else as well, quite well enough. Your dear father and I have often had such chocolates before, as of this time in the Universe's history. But since we actually were both from the exact same world, we were not in as much danger as you'd then have been had you actually eaten the chocolates in question. Most especially if you and Endymion were somehow near enough to each other within a particular twelve-hour-long period of time."

"I don't understand, Mother."

"These chocolates that you were just searching for here contain some rather potent ingredients indeed in them, it seems. And if you'd actually eaten them by now, my dear Serenity, you'd perhaps already be doing certain things that you'd have later definitely regretted, whatever those things actually were. Fortunately, at least a few of your Senshi and the others somehow stopped you in time before you could find them."

Usagi thought about that for at least a little while, and then said, "No way!"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. You might have already been doing those things, and people might not have been able to somehow keep you from doing those things until the various effects from those ingredients wore off sufficiently well, Serenity. Not only that, you might have even hastened quite considerably the time before you'd first have to fight your coming enemy or enemies, for that matter. You all are, as of yet, not sufficiently ready for the upcoming battles against it or them. They have already appeared on Earth, it seems, in your current time period. But they haven't yet begun to really make a move of any possible kind at all on any or all of you well enough here and now. They most certainly will do so soon enough, I'm quite sure. But while they all still haven't, you all have whatever time you then have left before they do in order to prepare yourselves for the coming fight or fights with them."

"Even the Knights, for instance?"

"Yes, even the Knights. Including at least a few Generals, for that matter."

"Just how serious are things, Mother?"

"They're very serious indeed. It is so serious, in fact, that there'll definitely need to be numerous Senshi and Knight-type beings present from not just one solar system, not just two solar systems, but at least three, and possibly even as many as several, if not many, solar systems, Serenity, on your side of things here and now. Hence Sailor Pluto allowing me to see the brief glimpse of the future that she is now allowing me to see here."

"And we're going to have to defeat it to save at least Earth, if not any number of other worlds in the applicable solar systems anywhere at all in the Universe?"

"Yes, all of you most certainly will somehow have to do just that. If you don't, then you may eventually never see me again in any form, if you actually survive long enough into the future, Serenity. Failure is not an option here, for that matter. You must utterly defeat or completely convert them to your side of things before they do the same, in any possible way or ways whatsoever. Or life as you each knew it will be gone forever, with no possible chance of recovery of it in any way, shape, or form," said Queen Serenity.

"Understood, Mother. I so HATE the life of a warrior, though!"

"Yes, I can see how you can say that, Serenity. For you came from a time of peace, until our mortal enemy came and began causing major trouble for us and so many others. It is a real shame that the time I sent you to has been much more hostile than I'd hoped that it then would be. How many evil forces have you all defeated by now? Pluto didn't really tell me."

"We defeated the Dark Kingdom. After them came the Dark Moon Family from Nemesis, as you may already know by now, from Pluto. Then the Death Busters, who we finally defeated earlier this month. We're now wondering who our next enemy or enemies are, but we know very little, if anything, about them at all right now. Supposedly, though, they're going to be much stronger than any of our previous enemies have been so far."

"Yes, according to Pluto, they most certainly will be. Hence the need for so many Senshi and Knight-type beings on your side of things, and the need for so many other kinds of sentient enough beings, it seems to us now, my dear Serenity. You might even need to have your siblings' help from time to time, during the whole fight, for that matter. At least one of your siblings from your original time is already there, in fact. Can you guess who I mean?"

"Shingo, or at least the person I now call by that name?"

"Yes, that's right. Shingo is one of your siblings from long ago. I sent him to the future as well, along with countless other sentient beings and things. You know that I sent a lot of such beings and the things that I need to your current time period quite well by now, I know, so I won't bore you with a list of all the souls and things that I sent there with you all. I will say, however, Shingo was one of those I sent to the future where you now are, Serenity."

"So that pesky brother of mine was around then? I don't remember him being around then."

"Yes, you forgot that fact sometime after you battled the Dark Moon Family, according to Pluto. I am now able to remind you of that fact, Serenity. For it'll evidently be quite important in the near future, if what she told me just before I was allowed to briefly glimpse you, here and now, in the future is quite accurate enough. Other than that, I can't say too much more here about what's coming for you all. In fact, my brief time to glimpse the future here and now is just about to fully lapse. I don't know if I actually will be able to drop in on you all every so often as you battle against what's coming to you all, but I'll try to drop by whenever Pluto says it's sufficiently possible for me to, just the same. Until such time as we meet again, if we ever do, before we meet Eternity, please take care of yourselves, no matter who you are, as best as you can. Especially you, my precious first-born. Now I suppose I'd best be off, before Shingo sees me and any part of this vision of yours. Or before Keitaro does, while we're at it here."

"I love you, Mother, and I hope to see you at least one more time in the future, of course."

"As do I, my dear daughter. Take care of your associates as best as you can. God willing, we actually will all somehow meet again before Eternity arrives forever. One last major thing, though, before I go. If you ever have those chocolates, you most definitely will never actually be able to marry Endymion or have your precious Chiba-Usa, at least, according to Pluto, Serenity."

"I'll never have Endymion or Small Lady, according to her?"

"That's right, if she's not too mistaken about such things, of course, Serenity."

"A life without those two is not actually a life I'd really want to live, Mother."

"I see. No matter how irritating my granddaughter can be, or her father?"

"Yes, that's right. Was I ever that irritating with you and Father, at least up to from when you're conversing with us, or will I ever be?"

"No, but you have been known to be rather rambunctious at times. From what little I now know of my future granddaughter, she seems to be much like you were then. Oh, how I miss having you with me. Yes, I know that at least one version of you is still with me in my time period, but I still miss you, just the same, Serenity. She never had the chance to grow up as much as you have since Luna found you in your current time period. I am very proud of you, and I always will be, as I am also proud of you back during our times together in the Moon Kingdom. And if we ever do meet again, I know for a fact that I will always be proud to call you my daughter, even if you do mess up from time to time, you know. If we don't, however, please try to always remember I love you and will always be proud of you, no matter what happens to either of us or both of us."

"I'll do what I can, then, Mother, to remember all these things as best as I possibly can."

"Good luck, then, if you believe in luck. Otherwise, may you have good fortune in your upcoming battles, if you don't, Serenity." A very brief look indeed was shared between Queen Serenity and Usagi, and then Queen Serenity vanished completely from sight just as suddenly as she'd appeared outside Keitaro's room near the other twelve young people then and there.

Everyone soon dispersed from the area of Keitaro's room, especially after Keitaro called out, all of a sudden, "Usagi, your boyfriend is on the phone!" That got Usagi's attention immediately, and she hurried away from his room very quickly indeed, in fact.

Usagi spent about the next ten to fifteen minutes, at least, on the phone with Mamoru here, before getting off it quite well enough. When she did so, she soon told everyone else who was then present on the premises and currently within sufficient enough earshot of her that the boys planned to arrive at the Apartments by no later than noon local time the following day, and perhaps even sooner than that, if at all possible. And no later than 4 pm, in any case.

Rei soon said, after catching a sudden change of facial expression on Usagi's face minutes later, "You have something that seems to be rather unpleasant to tell us all here, Usagi."

"Yes, unfortunately so, Rei. According to Yuuichirou, they may not actually be heading here alone, if I heard what Mamoru told me earlier quite well enough here. Evidently, Yuuichirou saw your grandfather mediating before the fire, and your grandfather told him of potential mecha-like invaders, for instance, that our male allies may possibly be fighting even as they're trying to get here to the Hinata Apartments. They evidently will be trying to keep them away from here, but will not be entirely successful in their attempts to do so, quite possibly. Your grandfather seems to think there's something or someone here that they'll be trying to get, by the way. Or that there eventually will be, if it isn't or they aren't actually here now, in fact."

Shinobu thought about this for a few seconds, then asked Usagi, "What do you suggest we do, then, Usagi?"

"I think everyone should attempt to pack up as much of their things and somehow try to place them all into any number of sufficient enough storage areas of some kind as they possibly can, Shinobu. For if they actually do somehow happen to come here like Rei's grandfather seems to think that they just might, it could very well be the case here that this particular premises could soon come under quite heavy attack from the very same evil force or forces that we'll all eventually have to face in any number of battles for quite some time, by the way. If they're sufficiently strong here, it could even be the case that certain things here at the Hinata Apartments will never be exactly the same again, for one reason or another. There could even be a very distinct possibility that the whole grounds for the Hinata Apartments could see the end of the Hinata Apartments for at least a while, if not permanently, for that matter."

"Oh, dear. That doesn't sound too good here, Usagi," said Mutsumi.

"If what Mamoru told me is accurate enough here, it could very well make what happened a thousand years to our Moon Kingdom seem almost like mere child's play, Otohime-san," said Usagi.

"And that we don't want to happen, I take it?" asked Motoko.

"Of course not, Motoko. We've lost any number of other places already. We don't need to see you guys lose one too, if it can possibly be avoided at all, of course," said Usagi.

"Then how do we stop them?" asked Narusegawa.

"We fight for as long as we can, while those who can't fight try to make sure those of us who survive somehow are able to live as needed until our mutual enemy or enemies are defeated somehow, of course, Koushoku," said Makoto, after getting a nod from Usagi allowing her to answer here for everyone.

"And what about those who don't necessarily live quite near here or in here, then?" asked Kaolla.

"Hinata City may very well have to be evacuated totally, Su-san," said Ami. "To where, I don't think any of us know just yet. But if worse comes to worst, somehow, I think we can all eventually find a sufficiently suitable place to evacuate as many of the inhabitants from around here to any number of other places in this world of ours, at least. No matter what it takes for us to do that, just the same."

"How soon do you think that might have to happen, then, Ami?" asked Keitaro.

"It's hard to say, Urashima-san. It could be very soon, or it could be quite some length of time into the future here before it happens, I think. I really have no idea about such a thing, in terms of when it might happen. And if I don't, and several of our various associates don't, then I can't really be definite about such things, and they can't either, for the obvious reasons, of course."

"So we will most likely have to play things by ear, so to speak, then?" asked Mitsune. "At least in terms of our potential mutual enemies, right?"

"That's right, Konno-san," said Ami.

"Oh, great. So we may not actually know just how to fight them well enough for at least a little while, I take it, Ami-chan?"

"Perhaps not, Konno-san. At least until we get enough fighting experience against them somehow, that is."

Kaolla said, "Mecha, you say, Usagi? I've got quite a few mecha that might possibly be able to tip the scales more in our favor here, so to speak, if our mutual enemies choose to send such things against us, I think. Granted, many of them aren't exactly battle-tested right now, but so what? They'll eventually be needed here, it seems to me, for at least one reason, then, if not more than one. I suppose I'd best start making sure they're as battle-ready as they possibly can be before those mecha-like invaders might appear around here, perhaps."

Usagi turned to Shinobu, "Do you think that's really wise here, Shinobu?"

"Kaolla is the resident technology expert here, it seems, Usagi. Yes, many of her things often blow up quite spectacularly indeed. But of all of us, she unquestionably is the most experienced in most, if not all, things that somehow actually deal with technology-related matters to a sufficient enough degree in her own mortal life."

Ami considered this for at least a minute or two, if not longer, and then asked, "Su-san, would you mind me trying to help you work with your various work projects for a while?"

"Why, Ami-san?"

"Because I might just know a few things that might help your various work projects not to self-destruct or otherwise fail quite as often as they seem to do around here, from one 'science girl' to another. My help might also somehow actually aid us all in our virtually-certain future conflict or conflicts against our likely soon-to-be enemies, for that matter, Su-san."

"Sure, why not? I mean, if we can keep my projects from exploding, et cetera, much easier, then perhaps they can last longer, of course, among other things."

"That would be quite nice, wouldn't it, Su-san?"

"Of course it would, Ami-san. Very well, let's go to my lab, then, and see just how much good we each can do in terms of working with each other in it, if you don't mind too much."

"No, of course I don't mind seeing just how brilliant your mind might actually be here, Su-san." Ami shot a rather brief look off towards Usagi, as if to ask, "Would you possibly mind if I go work in her lab for a while, Usagi-chan, by any chance at all?"

Usagi caught the look, and nodded, as if to say, "Sure, why not? Go have your fun, if that's what you might wish to call it, whether you might call it that now or later. I believe we can all handle the necessary things here for a while, as long as you both are otherwise occupied here. If we need you, we'll contact you later, of course."

Ami briefly smiled, once she realized what Usagi had just seemed to say here just with her eyes. And then she shot Usagi a rather thankful look here, of course. Which Usagi soon reacted to with a brief, and barely noticeable nod towards Kaolla, who was already waiting for Ami at the top of the stairs leading away from the main room to other parts of the Hinata Apartments. Ami wasted no more time in ascending the necessary stairs here, and she was out of sight not more than a few seconds later, in fact.

Once Ami and Kaolla were both out of sight here, Keitaro asked, "Usagi, is Ami really as smart as she seems in matters of technology here?"

"From what we actually know of her so far, she evidently is. And I'm sure that there are still quite a few things that we all don't really know about her in her life that might pertain to those kinds of things, as well. Her brains have helped us to get out of more trouble than I'd care to recount to you all. Let me put it this way. If Ami wasn't one of us, we'd all probably be dead right now. Or at least those of us who have served for a long enough time as Sailor Senshi under my leadership, that is, along with many, if not all, of the countless people from wherever we might all actually live elsewhere in this world of ours, anyway. Ami is a key member of my Senshi team. We'd not have defeated any or all of our previous enemies without her being around, for sure, Urashima-san."

"How many members are on your full-time Senshi team, then, for sure?" asked Keitaro.

"Not counting our Knights, including Mamoru, perhaps, for they're not actually part of our full-time Senshi team, technically, there are nine, I believe. Ten if you count my and Mamoru's future daughter Chiba-Usa. There are probably any number of others who I've somehow forgotten about here that could actually be members of it as well, whether currently active or not, I think. Ami is Sailor Mercury. Minako is Sailor Venus. I am Sailor Moon. Chiba-Usa is Sailor Chibi Moon. Rei is Sailor Mars. Makoto is Sailor Jupiter. You will most likely not see any of the Outer Senshi, though, except for Sailor Pluto, I think, while we're battling our soon-to-be future enemy or enemies, if I'm not too mistaken at all here, though. Yet, I will still tell you who they are, just in case you do somehow encounter them very soon, just the same. Hotaru is Sailor Saturn. Haruka is Sailor Uranus. Michiru is Sailor Neptune. And Setsuna is Sailor Pluto."

"So you have a Haruka among your associates as well?" asked Kitsune.

"Yes, we do, Konno-san," said Makoto.

"I see, Mako-chan. And what kind of girl is she?"

"She's a runner, for instance. And she races cars quite often. Yes, it's a highly unusual hobby for most young women to pursue in their lives, but she's quite good at it, it seems. She's even considering a career as a race car driver in some version of auto racing, believe it or not. Not to mention she's not too bad at playing the piano, if I'm not too mistaken here," said Makoto.

"Is she a partier, by any chance at all, then, Juubanites?"

"Not to my knowledge, at least, and perhaps not to the knowledge of most of us, if not all of us, but when she gets old enough, she might be, if she's not already," answered Minako.

"So when did your cat friends join up with you, if you don't mind me asking?" said Mutsumi.

"Luna joined up with Usagi not long after Usagi found her being picked on by at least a few rather naughty boys. As for Artemis, I eventually found him, if memory serves me well enough, on the same day that I first became Sailor V. Or it could be the other way around, Otohime-san. The details of our first meeting in this time period seem a little hazy to me at the current time, for we've each fought a lot of battles against any number of monsters or sentient enough beings since each of us first became Senshi or Knights in our respective lives. While I remember many, if not all, of the numerous battles that I've actually fought to date as a Senshi in this time period quite well, if not totally, there are at least a few Senshi-related things that I may have forgotten to at least some degree, if not to a great degree, I'm quite sure. And my first meeting of Artemis in this particular time period just so happens to seem to be one of those kinds of things here and now, at least."

Eventually, everyone now in the Apartments dispersed to other places on its grounds as they then saw fit to here. Motoko and Makoto soon decided to go up to the roof to train with each other, while others decided to return to their respective rooms or hit the hot springs, for instance. Both Narus, in fact, decided to hit the hot springs with each other. And they were soon joined by Shinobu and Minako, once Shinobu had finished preparing the next meal's buffet of food and drink items for everyone now present here, and once she had somehow secured it quite well enough to actually keep both Usagi and Kaolla from hitting them before that next meal was due to be served, for that matter.

* * *

When all four of them were sufficiently settled in the hot springs with each other, Midori was the first of them to speak here. Midori asked, "It sure has been rather interesting to see how things seem to generally go here, hasn't it, Minako?"

"Yes, I would have to agree with you there, Midori. I just hope that when our next potential enemies show themselves quite well enough anywhere, that all of us will somehow be able to defeat them well enough to protect the people and things that we will most need to protect anywhere, of course."

"So do I, Minako. And I do hope that Sylvia can lead the Terran Sailor Auxiliaries quite well indeed, and that her boyfriend Rolando can do the same for the Terran Knight Auxiliaries as well, for that matter."

Koushoku asked, "The Terran Sailor Auxiliaries and Terran Knight Auxiliaries? What are they?"

Minako said, a few moments later, "Those two groups consist of essentially all the other known Sailor Senshi and Knight-type beings originally of Terran origin that now fight on the side of good in the known Universe who aren't technically sufficient enough members of Usagi's Sol System Senshi and Knights team. When it comes to such Senshi and Knights, Sylvia and Rolando are both technically their primary, if not only, leaders as it's generally appropriate enough for them to be. Other Senshi and Knights that aren't originally from Terra, in their respective basic origins, are generally members of any number of other Senshi and/or Knight-type teams, then. If they aren't actually sufficient enough parts of Usagi's Sol System Senshi team, they then are generally considered to be Auxiliary Sailor Senshi or Knight-type beings by us. At least in most, if not all, cases, that is."

"And just where does Midori fit into all of this, then, Aino-san?" asked Shinobu.

"Technically, she is primarily a member of the Terran Sailor Auxiliaries, but she also has been known to stand in for any number of the Senshi on Usagi's team from time to time, if and whenever needed and appropriate enough," answered Minako. "She has even stood in for Usagi at times, although not for very long at any time, due to certain facts related to one of her available Senshi forms whenever she's available to be a Senshi alongside us, Shinobu."

"I see. How would we perhaps be classified, then, if we'd actually have to be Senshi as well, Aino-san?" asked Shinobu.

"If memory serves me well enough, you and any number of others wouldn't necessarily be classified as Terran Auxiliary Senshi or Knights, if you people actually represented any number of places anywhere at all in the Hinata Solar System of the Universe. You then would generally be considered members of the Hinata Solar System Senshi and Knight teams, if I'm not too mistaken here. Now I don't actually know who would lead such a team of Senshi and/or Knights here, Shinobu, but one of you 36 people most definitely would have to. I can't quite remember who the actual leaders of the Hinata Solar System Senshi and Knights were during the Silver Millennium, it seems. So I can't really tell you who led them back then, and just who might have led them a year or so ago when they briefly aided us in one of our conflicts against another evil force, for that matter, in fact."

"Ami seemed to think that Motoko would potentially become a Sailor Senshi, much like Shinobu here did for a while as we were still trying to reach her earlier. If that's so, who do you think she'd become, somehow?" asked Koushoku, in a rather concerned tone of voice.

"Rei seems to think that she'd possibly become Sailor Ozom. Just as she may very well have been when we had allies fighting alongside us who claimed to be representing any number of places in the Hinata Solar System of the Universe, I believe," answered Minako.

"I see. And what of the rest of us, then?" asked Koushoku.

"If our suspicions are sufficiently correct about our potential next enemies, you girls, along with any number of others, will most likely have to become Sailor Senshi or Knights yet again, if you've ever been either of those things before, somehow," answered Minako.

"And those people might very well include us, no doubt, right, Minako?" asked Midori.

"Yes, it seems that the Auxiliaries will have to re-awaken, if they're currently asleep, so to speak, Senshi and/or Knight-wise, at least, Midori. I really wish that wouldn't most likely have to be the case for you and Umino, along with so many others, of course, but it may very well be, you know."

"Well, I suppose that we'll just have to try to enjoy ourselves for at least as long as we still can, then, until they do somehow come to try to conquer or destroy us, of course, Minako," said Midori, with a big frown on her face as she said that here and now.

"It may take them at least a little while to get sufficiently strong here to really cause us a lot of trouble here on Earth, girls. But I don't think it'll actually take them a lot longer than perhaps a month or two, in any case, to do that well enough, somehow, just the same. When they finally do make their first move well enough against us here, we must be as ready as possible to fight them as needed, of course. We may very well indeed lose people from time to time, but that's a risk that we'll all just have to live with, it seems. Considering the fact that our next enemy or enemies will perhaps be much stronger than any other evil forces that any of us may have ever fought before in our lives, that is," said Minako.

"And who's most likely their main target, then, if you could answer me this here, Aino-san?" asked Shinobu, as she began helping Midori wash her back in the hot springs for at least a few minutes here.

"If I were to make an educated guess here to at least some degree, Shinobu-chan, I'd then think that at least one, if not more than one, of the evil forces that we might all soon be facing in any number of battles actually had at least something, if not everything, to do with your dear manager being zapped just like he was. And if anyone else somehow also got zapped at the same time that he did, just like he did, perhaps with them as well, for that matter."

"So this might not necessarily be just Keitaro-related?" asked Koushoku, as she then helped Minako wash her back here at least a little bit, if not a lot.

"It could be just Keitaro-related, of course, but, somehow, I honestly don't think it's just about him, and him alone, here, unfortunately, Koushoku. I think there's a yet-untold number of things and sentient enough beings that we still aren't yet sufficiently aware of here and now. I think it's really a whole lot bigger than just this particular Earth of ours, in fact. And, if so, it could very well have to do with the ultimate destinies of any number of worlds or certain other places anywhere at all in the known Universe, for that matter."

"Oh, dear. If I get your drift well enough here, then, Aino-san, what we might be part of here will definitely not be very pleasant in most cases, if any little bit at all, somehow?" asked Shinobu.

"No, I really don't think most, if not all, of it actually will be, Shinobu."

"So are you saying there may not actually be a way to stop them somehow, Aino-san?" asked Shinobu.

"I want you to call me Minako in a situation like this, if you please, Shinobu. No, I'm not saying that at all, of course. However, such a possible way may very well be found later, once we're far enough into the conflict with our future enemies, I think. It might be very hard to find, and very hard to implement, but I really don't think it's somehow going to be impossible for us to find and learn well enough to allow us to implement it well enough, just the same. At least one such way, if not more than one, anyway. I mean, we've always found a way to ultimately defeat our previous enemies in our earlier conflicts with them, somehow, if memory serves me quite well enough here. Although it's usually Usagi as Sailor Moon who strikes the final blow, with our assistance through us lending her our strength so that she can do just that well enough, against the currently-active 'Big Boss,' so to speak."

"How did she manage to ultimately defeat Beryl and Metallia, then, in this time period?" asked Koushoku.

"Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and myself, at the very least, sent her virtually all our remaining strength from wherever we'd battled against any number of Beryl's youma in the Arctic. She was most likely about to be defeated, it seems. But our remaining available enough strength came to her after she eventually asked for our help against the then-merged Beryl and Metallia. We all gave her at least enough strength to then defeat Beryl/Metallia. After which, she ultimately somehow banished them forever from our dimension of the Universe. Or, at least we all really hope that she did so quite well enough, anyway. Then we fought against any number of the countless beings from the Dark Moon Family, and somehow defeated them as well. During that time, we were aided by any number of other Senshi and/or Knights from time to time, and we eventually learned that Usagi and Mamoru would have at least one child, if not more than one, with each other sometime in the distant future, most specifically Chiba-Usa. Ultimately, Usagi and the rest of us who were still in the fight helped each other defeat the Dark Moon Family. And peace reigned again for us all at least until the Death Busters then arose to oppose us like they did. That particular conflict was not quite as easy to be sufficiently victorious in as our previous two conflicts were in this time period. Yet, although we generally had fewer currently-available Senshi and/or Knights to us then, we still ultimately defeated the Death Busters and their various superiors sufficiently well, Koushoku. As of right now, at least, they're the last major enough enemies that we've ever had to periodically fight against as Sailor Senshi and/or Knights in this particular time period for our respective mortal lives. Quite obviously enough, though, they won't actually somehow prove to be the very last ones that we'll all ever have to face in them, unfortunately."

"So in order for most, if not all, of us to somehow survive sufficiently well in our lives, we evidently have to beat them, right, Minako?" asked Shinobu, as Midori began to return the favor that Shinobu had just done for her, in terms of washing her own back, here in the hot springs.

"That is true, Shinobu. They all will most likely give no real mercy to their opponents, it seems, if any at all, from what little we may currently know of them well enough," answered Minako.

"Especially if what or who they are searching for include any number of us or things in our possession, like Keitaro, for example, Minako?" asked Koushoku. She soon began to let Minako help her wash her own back, just as Shinobu had now let Midori do the same with hers.

"Exactly. If they're searching for him, then he will be in very grave danger, if not terminal danger. Supposing they somehow manage to get a strong enough hold on him later on, that is."

"And that is something that we Hinatans most certainly will never want to see actually happen somehow, for sure, in fact. Especially me, Minako," answered Shinobu.

"Then, in order to make as sure as we can that they don't ever do just that, if it can possibly ever be avoided at all, somehow, we each must do whatever we possibly can do to work with each other to the absolute best of our own respective abilities to do so, Shinobu," said Midori.

"Agreed. I will not lose him permanently because of them if I can possibly ever avoid it somehow. And nor will any of the rest of us, for that matter, I'm quite sure, Midori and Minako," said Shinobu.

"Of course, Shinobu. As for you, Koushoku, Rei seems to think that you're going to have powers at least a little similar to my own as a Senshi, though not exactly like them, in fact."

"What do you mean, Minako?" asked Koushoku.

"My primary Realm or Realms of Influence, at least in terms of my Senshi powers, typically have at least a little bit, if not a lot, to deal with things such as love and/or things of a metallic nature. Yours may very well be much the same, though not entirely like, mine have been, are now, or eventually will be, Koushoku. She seems to think that you'll become Sailor Farujei eventually, whether or not you've ever fought as a Senshi by that name before."

"I see. And I take it Shinobu will, of course, be Sailor Leyua during this upcoming conflict for as long as she can be during it?" asked Koushoku.

"Rei seems to think so, Koushoku. However, she also seems to think that in order for several members of the Hinata Solar System's various teams of warriors to perhaps be able to somehow come into their full powers as Sailor Senshi and/or Knights much easier than not, they then will have to become parents to at least one child each, if not more than one. Supposing, of course, that they're not already parents by now in their respective mortal lives."

"Let me guess, Minako. Many, if not all, of us Hinatans on those teams may indeed have to become parents, then?" asked Koushoku.

"Yes, it seems so. Including you, of course, Koushoku." Minako frowned a little bit as she answered Koushoku's latest question here.

"And if we don't?" asked Shinobu.

"Then you may not be able to somehow come into them well enough to survive very easily against our future enemies, if at all, until you do so, Shinobu," said Minako.

"Then I suppose we have absolutely no real choice in the matter whether or not to become parents, if we're not already parents by now, Minako?" asked Shinobu.

"Apparently not, according to Rei, unfortunately, Shinobu," Minako answered.

"Might we each possibly ever have any real choices, of any kind at all, in just who we might somehow actually have children with, then, by any chance at all?"

"I really don't know. But if you do, then you girls may all have to make such choices very soon, or you might not really have any real choices in who your respective future mate or mates might be, I think. For instance, we all know that your own very dear manager may not have as much time left as you all seem to think he might in his own mortal life right now, Shinobu. His current medical condition could very well change drastically for the worst at any particular time without any prior warning of any kind whatsoever, you know, girls. So if you girls all want him to actually father all the necessary children that may possibly be able to somehow help save him eventually, then I'd most definitely not recommend that you each wait too long at all to make the required and/or desired choices of your respective mate or mates, quite obviously enough. Supposing that you each can possibly ever avoid doing so at all, somehow, quite naturally enough," said Minako.

"Understood. Now I suppose we Hinatans all have much to think about and do in the very near future, based on what you and Midori have now shared with us here, right, Minako."

"Yes, I suppose you do," nodded Minako. The four young women soon decided to exit the hot springs and go back into the main part of the Hinata Apartments with each other. They all quickly dressed, and then Shinobu headed, not long afterward, to the kitchen to start making supper for everyone now in or around them. By the time she got there, Makoto was already in the process of working on assorted food and drink items, much to Shinobu's quite obvious surprise here.

* * *

Makoto was just taking a few cherry pies out of the oven when Shinobu entered the kitchen. After she took the last one out of it that she'd been baking here, she soon turned and saw Shinobu near the kitchen's main doorway, and said, "I hope you don't mind the fact that I did a little cooking here, Shinobu."

"Well, I'm the one who spends much of my free time here, unlike most, if not all, of the others around here. So I kind of think of this place as being largely mine, you see, Mako-chan."

"I understand. But several of my associates were starting to get a bit hungry, it seems. So I decided to make them some pies for later, while you were still with Koushoku, Midori, and Minako in the hot springs. I hope you're not mad at me here, of course, for using your kitchen here, Shinobu."

"No, I'm not. I would have liked to have had the chance to watch you as you made the pies you just made, though, Mako-chan."

"That's perfectly understandable. You were about to make supper here, if I'm reading your body language here quite well enough, right?"

"As a matter of fact, I was about to start working on it here, Makoto."

"Then would you mind me helping you with it, one chef to another?"

"Perhaps not. What were you thinking we could have for supper, then?"

"How about beef stew, some breaded cheese logs, some mixed vegetables, some milk, some pie, and some bowls of ice cream, then?"

"Do we have everything we might need for such a buffet here, then, Makoto?"

"We have some cheese, some mixed vegetables, some milk, some ice cream, and the pies I just made here, at the very least. I took a brief gander through your various cabinets and things around here when I was hunting for stuff to make the pies with here, you see. You seem to be out of other things that we'd need for the beef stew and the cheese logs, though. If you want, perhaps we could go shopping here for a while so that we could help restock your pantry and cabinets here with food and other necessary stuff here, by the way."

"Won't that perhaps delay supper for a bit, then, at least?"

"It might, but think of it this way. With two rather good chefs in the kitchen, it might just make it much easier for us to get supper ready much quicker than if just one of us made supper tonight. And besides, I suppose I owe you for borrowing your kitchen to bake those pies without your knowledge and/or consent, Shinobu."

"Are you sure about this, Makoto?"

"Yes, I'm quite sure. But if we're going to do this, then I suppose I'm going to have to secure all these pies in safe enough places so that two of our resident snarfers don't find them too soon while we're out shopping for a little while, of course."

"You're talking about Kaolla and Usagi, at least, right?"

"You got it, Shinobu," answered Makoto, as she then began looking for a safe enough place to hide the pies in temporarily here. Shinobu soon realized this well enough, and then showed Makoto just where to put them in the kitchen for at least a little while. Once all the pies were sufficiently secured from any potential snarfers now in the Apartments, Makoto and Shinobu went in search of Rei, Koushoku, Kagome, and Motoko for a few brief moments here, in fact. They were all playing cards with each other in the main room, and soon agreed to guard all known potential entry/exit points for the kitchen until the two chefs returned from any possible snarfers here. Each of the four guards then took up defensive positions sufficiently well at one of those points, after which Makoto and Shinobu left to go shopping here for a while.

Shinobu soon showed Makoto all the best places to get any number of assorted food and drink items in the local area, and Makoto was a very good listener and note-taker here as she then did so quite well enough. She did this for the simple fact that she wouldn't be able to cook for anyone at the Apartments while she and others were still away from the Apartments on the upcoming round-the-world trip, at the very least, of course. Besides, it was perhaps just about time for any number of such assorted items to be restocked there anyway. Especially due to the fact that many other people would be staying there for at least a little while longer, quite naturally enough.

The two of them soon had purchased, perhaps, the equivalent of at least several hundred American Dollars' worth of assorted food, drink, and kitchen-related items by the time they were finally done shopping quite well enough here. For sheer convenience of transport, Makoto soon had stockpiled everything that they'd both bought quite neatly in her subspace pocket of sorts, just as soon as it was safe enough for her to do just that well enough here. They both returned to the Apartments no more than two hours after they'd left them, in any case, though. It took them both about another thirty minutes or so to completely attend to all the things they'd just bought as needed, for that matter. And then they soon began working on getting supper ready for everyone now in or sufficiently near the Apartments who might show up in the dining room for supper here, by the way.

It took them both just about thirty more minutes or so to completely finish making supper up as needed for everyone, more or less. And by that time, it was now just about 8:30 pm or so local time. Supper was a rather pleasant affair, at least for the most part, if not entirely. Much conversation was shared by everyone who showed at it, even by people such as Haruka, for instance. And even Artemis and Luna did a little conversing with everyone else, for that matter. Which surprised both Mika and Shingo at least a little bit, if not a lot, of course. But they both soon came to adjust at least a little bit, if not a lot, to the very unexpected idea of both Luna and Artemis actually being somehow able to speak in human-type languages as everyone then had their respective suppers with each other on the night of June 16, 1993, in fact.

After supper ended at about 9:45 pm, then, many people started to make their ways to their currently-assigned rooms in the Apartments for the rest of the night. A few others decided to help Makoto and Shinobu clean up after it, and did so, with their mutual consent. Among those others was Keitaro, in fact.

It didn't take Shinobu, Keitaro, Sango, Makoto, and Kitsune very long at all to clean up things from supper quite well enough, by the way. Once that was done quite well enough to suit Shinobu sufficiently well, then, the five of them decided to have some tea with each other and chat with each other. Especially Kitsune, who was still missing the often-prodigious amounts of alcohol that she'd once been known to essentially guzzle quite often in her own mortal life, of course. Yet, she was beginning to adjust to the lack of desire for alcoholic beverages that she was now experiencing in it, just the same. It wasn't very easy for her to keep from falling back into her old boozing habits, quite obviously enough. But she was still somehow managing to avoid doing just that here and now.

The five of them soon went to the main room with each other, as Shinobu then carried some cookies and Kitsune two pitchers of tea to the main table there. They all soon took seats in it as they saw fit, and chatted for at least a little while, mainly discussing such things as the upcoming round-the-world trip, for instance. Eventually, though, they all began to get rather tired in the main room, so they soon decided to split up for the rest of the night as necessary and as appropriate enough here. First Makoto and Sango left, and then Kitsune, not too long after Makoto and Sango did so. That soon left Keitaro and Shinobu alone again here for at least a few seconds, if not at least a minute or two, of course, quite naturally enough.

* * *

When Shinobu was quite sure indeed that there were no unnecessary lurkers who were too near them who might somehow overhear, see, or detect their conversation well enough, she soon decided to share much, if not all, of the things that she'd found out from various people and events that she'd dealt with that very day. She left out at least a few things that she'd found out on it, for hopefully his own safety, at least, quite naturally enough. He soon realized this, but didn't push for more information about such things, at least not at this time, if he ever would, from her. They talked in private with each other from nearly 10:30 pm to about 11 pm, before they decided to part from each other for at least the rest of the night, in fact.

Shinobu had much more that she wanted to say to him at the present time, for that matter. But she couldn't actually say those things to him then, for one reason or another. Whether it might perhaps be for his own safety, or for some other reason or reasons, she still couldn't, just the same. They eventually parted, but not before Keitaro asked, "When do you think we should get hitched to each other, then, if at all possible, Shinobu?"

"Let's do one wedding ceremony here, before we leave, and one after we do, somewhere, if we can. Of course, the other girls will want you to marry them as well, you know. We could all marry you at the same time, if you'd like, or one at a time, for that matter."

"Which would you prefer, then, Shinobu?"

"To save money, perhaps all of us should marry you at the same time, and then we could decide who gets to be with you first as your wife, if you know what I mean by that. And so on and so forth."

"You would prefer I was just yours alone, I know. I can see it in your eyes as you look at me now, Shinobu."

"Yes, my beloved, I do. But I can't bear you all the necessary children by myself, it seems to me. So, whether I like it or not, I will have to share you with other women and/or girls, just the same."

"I would myself prefer that I have children with only one woman or girl in my life, too, but that's just not going to be possible here, it seems, to me as well. I have absolutely no doubts at all in my life that all six of you girls, at least, will make wonderful parents. And I really do wish that I could actually live to somehow see all of my future children reach adulthood, just the same. And it really doesn't seem like I'll ever somehow get that chance, if what I have isn't cured well enough in time, you know."

"We'll save you somehow, no matter what it takes, Keitaro, if at all possible. For you're just too important to all of us now for us not to do whatever we possibly can do in order to save you and/or anyone else who might have also been zapped by the aliens who zapped you like they did last year."

"I see. Promise me one thing, though, if you can, Shinobu."

"What's that, my beloved Senpai?"

"Never lose the caring heart that you've shown to me and so many others around here since I got here, if you can possibly ever avoid it at all. I really love that part of you quite a bit, for it's one of the things that I really love about this place and the whole lot of you, in good times or in bad."

"Senpai, I promise you this from the bottom of my heart. I will do all I possibly can in order to make sure that I never do just that in my own respective mortal life. Even with all the bad things that are most likely going to happen anytime at all in the near future, not only for you, but also for many other people in this world of ours."

"Good. Now do you have anything else of major enough importance that you wish to discuss with me right now? If not, then, with your permission, I'll head to my bed here, Shinobu."

"No, I don't suppose so. But may I at least kiss you on the cheek, perhaps, before you do, then?"

"Are you sure the others won't mind too much?"

"They'd better not. Remember, I essentially claimed leadership over the primary tenants here, you know."

"True, but as their effective leader, they might think that you're taking unfair advantage of that position here to your own benefit here, you know."

"I understand that. But they'll have their chances to do what I'm asking here, I promise, Keitaro, before we all leave on our round-the-world trip. At least once each, anyway, that is."

Just then, Koushoku appeared at the bottom of the main stairs, as she was coming downstairs for a bedtime snack, "I'll hold you to that promise, Shinobu, then. Don't mind me here too much at the current time, though, you two. I'm just down here for a small bowl of ice cream as a bedtime snack, in fact. I'll be back upstairs not too long after that, by the way."

"Understood. Of course, I know you're going to spread this around to the other applicable tenants here, so when you do, please try to do it only when no Juubanites might be sufficiently around any of you, okay? They all don't actually need to know of it here, if it can possibly be avoided somehow, I think, Koushoku."

"Agreed. Well, I suppose I'd best get my ice cream before the others catch me talking to you both about this matter here, then, of course, Shinobu."

"Yes, I suppose so. I'll see you in the morning, then, perhaps?"

"I hope so, Shinobu," said Koushoku. The two young girls then said nothing more to each other, and didn't look at each other again, before Koushoku continued on her way to the kitchen for a bit of ice cream.

When it was safe enough for them to then do so well enough here, Shinobu then pulled Keitaro's head down towards her own, gently held his head in her hands near his cheeks, and quickly smooched him rather briefly on not only one cheek, as she'd originally planned to do before Koushoku's sudden appearance, but on both cheeks, by the way. Which surprised them both quite a bit indeed here, of course. A brief look of surprise appeared on both of their faces, and a slight brief blush soon followed on each of them, for that matter. Keitaro soon said only one word, once they realized they'd both just blushed briefly here, and that one word was "Wow!"

Shinobu heard this, and then said, "Wow is right. I didn't expect to kiss both your cheeks here, in fact, my beloved manager. I wonder if a kiss is next for each of us, then, the next time we're in a situation sufficiently like this one, at least."

"I suppose we'll both just have to wait and find out for sure, won't we, Shinobu?"

"Yes, I think you're right. I think you'd best get to bed now, before I suddenly get the urge to make out with you too soon here and now."

"I see. Good point. If the others saw us do that, no telling what they might all think, of course, Shinobu."

"Go, before I can't somehow actually keep myself from perhaps jumping on you and perhaps kissing you senseless, then, my dearest Keitaro." Keitaro needed no further urging to do just that, and he fled to his room before it might have been too late to escape the strangely passionate-looking Shinobu's presence well enough here and now, in fact. Shinobu watched him go, and soon thought to herself, "That was so unbelievably weird, to put it very mildly here, it seems. I have never quite been so bold in terms of saying such things to Keitaro, if I'm not too mistaken here and now, for that matter."

She soon retired to her room, and remained there for the rest of the night, only rising after her alarm clock rang at 7:30 in the morning of June 17, 1993. By 7:45, she was up and dressed sufficiently well, and by 7:50, she was already in the process of making breakfast for everyone as needed, where appropriate enough. By 8:30, everyone had appeared in the kitchen to get their food that she had prepared for each of them, in any case at all. By 10, everyone in the Apartments had eaten, and she had the kitchen sufficiently cleaned again right after the last of them had breakfast anywhere at all in the Apartments. From 10 to noon, then, she found any number of other things to occupy her time with quite well enough, whatever those various things might then be in her own life.

* * *

At about 3:30 in the afternoon, while Motoko and Makoto were training with each other on the roof, and while several of the others now resident at the Apartments were watching them do so, several young men then began to rapidly approach the grounds of the Hinata Apartments with each other. They weren't currently having to fight any alien monsters or anything, fortunately for them or anyone they were all planning to meet up with very soon. But they still weren't wasting any unnecessary time in getting to the Apartments here and now, just the same. Usagi was the first to hear them from afar, and soon said, "Our young men are heading this way now, everyone. They should be here very soon, I expect. And they fortunately don't seem to have any hostile company at the current time here, for that matter."

"About how far away do you think they are, then, Usagi-chan?" asked Ami.

"I'd perhaps say about half a Terran statute mile away, more or less, at most. I can pick up Mamoru's voice the easiest here, it seems. Also with him at the current time are Ryo, Yuuichirou, Shinozaki, Kohaku, Motoki, Gurio, and Rolando, if I'm not too mistaken here."

Shinobu said that Ami had told her that Minako's current boyfriend was named Kohaku. When Sango heard this, she said, "I didn't know that, Shinobu."

Several minutes later, after the eight aforementioned young men were close enough to the Apartments for everyone to see them well enough, everyone looked at them for a few moments, at most. After which, they all soon went downstairs to meet up with them as needed, of course.

Keitaro soon let them inside the Apartments, and everyone soon congregated with each other in the main room, just as soon as they could do so well enough here. The young men soon stood near their respective girlfriends, as the case might be for each of them here, as their girlfriends took turns in introducing their boyfriends to everyone else here as needed. Most of the Hinatans were quite pleased to meet them all, in fact. However, Motoko and Koushoku were still a little apprehensive about having so many males around here, for all the obvious reasons here.

Keitaro soon suggested a tour of the grounds, at Shinobu's secret urging. And the young men quite readily agreed to the idea that they should get at least a little familiar with the layout of things here, much to Motoko and Koushoku's surprise here. The tour eventually ended up in front of the Annex, and then the Hinatans asked the Juubanites to see what they could possibly do in order to break and permanently remove the current curse on it completely. All the Juubanites soon agreed, and then asked all of the Hinatans and everyone else who wasn't actually a sufficient enough part of Usagi's Senshi team, except for Sylvia and Rolando, to give them at least some considerable amounts of room to work with here, so that they'd have room to work on that sort of thing here. So the Hinatans withdrew to an average minimum distance of at least 200 yards from the nearest part of the Annex to them, at the Juubanites' request. In order to make quite sure that they'd all comply here quite well enough, then, Usagi had Midori, Gurio, Reika, and Motoki stay with them all until further notice.

After everyone else who wasn't chosen here to work with Usagi now had been sufficiently secured away from the Annex, Usagi and the others still with her here quickly powered up as needed here. Once they all did so well enough to suit her sufficiently well at the current time, she then had them all take up certain positions around the Annex in pairs. Those pairs consisted, in a clockwise pattern from due north of the Annex, of her and Tuxedo Kamen, both representatives of Mercury, both representatives of Venus, Sailor Skyhorse and the Pilgrim, AKA Rolando, both representatives of Mars, and finally both representatives of Jupiter. Each pair was roughly sixty degrees away from the pairs on either side of them here, for that matter. When they all notified her that they were in the necessary positions around the Annex, they soon sent their respective attacks to a certain point just above the Annex, where they'd all meet up with each other and merge into one combined attack of some sort against the normally-invisible barrier that the curse had left around the Annex long before. At least, that was their current plan here, anyway.

When the attacks met up with each other as expected, they merged into one giant sphere of energy perhaps thirty or so feet in average diameter. Once the giant ball of energy was formed well enough here, then, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen gained sufficient enough control over it, and began smashing it against the barrier, hoping to smash it enough to get to the thing or things that currently sustained the curse on the Annex well enough. They did this for about twenty or so minutes before asking for more energy from their fellow Senshi and Knights, seeing as they weren't having quite as much success in breaking through the barrier well enough just yet. Their Senshi and Knights soon sent them more energy through their various attacks, and the ball of energy grew even larger, as the current battle to break through the barrier continued to rage on here and now.

The Hinatans all watched for at least a little while, before Kaolla suddenly ran off towards the Apartments' main building, without a word of warning to the rest of her associates. When the Hinatans realized this well enough, Keitaro sent Koushoku after her here in very short order, in order to try to find out just what Kaolla was most likely thinking of here quite well enough, if at all possible. Koushoku didn't waste any unnecessary time in complying with Keitaro's directions here, and also hoped that Kaolla wasn't actually thinking of doing something here that they'd all most likely regret later, of course.

Kaolla, for her part, had decided to head to her room briefly after watching the battle to break the barrier for some time around the Annex. For she'd thought she'd noticed something about the barrier that wasn't as it currently appeared to be here. Hence her decision to hurry to her room for a little while, at least, much to the surprise of those then with her quite some distance away from the Annex.

Koushoku came to Kaolla's door just as quickly as she could, and keyed in a certain access code that she'd somehow gotten well enough the day before when Kaolla and the others were otherwise occupied in the local area, if not otherwise occupied anywhere at all on the Apartments' grounds. When she entered with that code, she soon found Kaolla quickly tinkering with several of her recent work projects, and modifying them as she then saw fit to here.

"Why did you run off, Kaolla?"

"The barrier around the Annex is not as it now appears to be, Koushoku. It, in fact, is evidently much stronger than it appears to be. Usagi's Guardian Senshi and their respective Knights are most likely going to need much more help to actually break through it, it seems. And, what's more, it seems to have some sort of temporal signature to it, somehow. Not to mention at least some hints of potential alien influence of some yet-unknown kind as well."

"Meaning, in essence?"

"Other Senshi and/or Knight-type beings will have to help them, if I'm not too mistaken, in their attempts to break the barrier well enough. We may very well need to become Senshi and/or Knights ourselves to break it, for that matter, Koushoku, whether or not we ever have been either of those things before in our respective lives. In fact, I'd say that the chances that we'd have to become such are on the order of at least 95 percent for that sort of thing, if not even higher than that."

"So what are you working on here, then?"

"Some transformation items for those of us who don't apparently have any of our own at the moment, Koushoku. I believe Midori and Gurio each have such devices of their own, but I'm not so sure about at least a few of the others around here now."

"Shinobu, Ran, and Shinichi, at least, seem to have some devices of their own like that, if not also Shingo. But I'm not so sure about the others here and now, though, Kaolla."

"Shingo has one, it seems to me. It's an often-miniaturized scroll with two handles that look like sword hilts, and he normally wears it inside a belt buckle. When he needs to transform, he removes it from that belt buckle, tosses it in the air a few feet. It grows to a suitable size in the air as needed, before descending down into his hands. When it lands in his hands, he then calls out his transformation phrase while also pulling out the handles for the scroll. The scroll then wraps around him as needed, and hides him briefly while his fighting uniform also materializes around him as might then be necessary for him in a particular situation. As it's still doing so, he's preparing both of his swords for possible future use against any potential enemy that he might then actually face in battle, for that matter. When his fighting uniform is completely materialized as needed, then, the scroll shrinks down to its normal size, and vanishes somehow from actual sight somewhere within his suit of armor, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"How do you know this?"

"I unintentionally saw him transformed a day or two ago, perhaps, as I was passing by Keitaro's room. He didn't even know I had, and I didn't let him know that I had, either. He was practicing some martial arts moves that seemed to not necessarily be of Terran origin, in fact. I didn't really get a good look at him as I passed by Keitaro's room, though, Koushoku. And I only saw him transformed for no more than perhaps two or three minutes, at most, before I actually continued on my way to where I'd then been heading when I saw him that way rather unexpectedly indeed, for that matter. He may not even know that I saw him that way just yet, for that matter."

"I see. And from this, you then got the idea to make these things, perhaps?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did, Koushoku." Kaolla soon handed her a brooch of some sort that was in the approximate shape of a mostly burgundy and saffron yellow falcon with outstretched wings and a brown heart-shaped shield hanging on a multi-link chain from its neck. This heart-shaped shield bore a somewhat complex design featuring a saffron yellow recurved bow with six rose-like arrows presently nocked on it. The arrows were each rose-like in the sense that the bud part of them was where three feathers at a time would normally be on most arrows, at least, anyway. However, the arrows in question here were not tipped with arrowheads in often-seen shapes for such things, but were tipped with talon-like spikes arranged in rings of six such spikes at a time. The rosebuds numbered three at a time on each present arrow, with the topmost one being burgundy, and the other two being saffron yellow, in their respective colors. As for the falcon, its eyes were green, and the wingspan of it was about six inches from wingtip to wingtip, more or less. Its fully-movable head was also currently facing to the front, as if it were able to look directly at anyone who saw it straight on at the present time, for that matter.

Koushoku looked at the brooch for a while, and soon asked, "How will this allow me to transform, then, Kaolla, by any chance at all?"

"In order for you to transform with this brooch, you will need to lift up the top of the shield so that the inside of it is visible. Then you wave one of your hands over the crystal inside it, and say the first words that come into your mind well enough. That will begin your transformation process. As you transform, then, the brooch will hide under the top of your uniform on a chain of some sort, even as your fighting uniform materializes on you and your weapons appear for you as well, in fact."

"What crystal, Kaolla?"

"A crystal I found some time ago, before I ever met any of the rest of you, in fact. It's been in this brooch ever since, by the way. I just added a few modifications to it to hopefully make it at least a bit easier for you to keep from powering down involuntarily when you're fighting our future enemies in battle. Hopefully my modifications won't have any nasty side effects of any kind on you or anyone else fighting in battle alongside you, of course. Ami showed me how to hopefully better avoid such side effects, in terms of the transformation devices you see here and now, as best as she then could. But at least some of the technology that obviously went into the making of these devices some time ago is at least a little unfamiliar to her, not being of Sol System origin, you see."

"I see. And you think these various transformation devices will help us fight against the enemies that we'll have to be fighting against, at least by letting us power up into various Senshi or Knight-type forms?"

"Yes, I do," said Kaolla, as she finished working on the last of the items that Koushoku had seen her tinkering with when she'd entered Kaolla's room here. "Now I suggest that we get these things to the others, just as quickly as we can, then, before it's too late to do so well enough."

The two young women wasted no further time at all in doing just what Su had just suggested here, in fact. They were all back with their fellow Hinatans and the others who were watching the battle between Sailor Moon's then-present Senshi and Knights and the barrier they were trying to break through well enough here not too much later, by the way. Both of them soon began distributing any number of the transformation items that Kaolla had just been tinkering with to the necessary people here, and told them to do what then came to each of their respective minds well enough here and now.

Two minutes later, at most, then, ten more Senshi and four more Knights were powered up as needed, and beginning to hurry into the fray. The only ones who didn't power up here were Reika, Motoki, Luna, Artemis, and Mika, for they weren't actually able to do so at all here, for that matter. So they watched the other fourteen people who'd then been with them enter the battle as then needed here. Although they all wished they could do more than that at the current time, at the very least, for the obvious reasons.

Several minutes later, then, after a quite substantial amount of energy had been added to the gigantic ball of energy located above the Annex at present, the barrier around it began to buckle and crack. When everyone who was then fighting against that barrier realized this quite well enough here, they added even more energy to the ball through their various attacks as they saw fit to. Eventually, the barrier could no longer resist the weight of the energy ball then on top of it, and it gave way at least enough for the energy ball to create a hole at least ten feet in average diameter, more or less, if not more than that. The energy ball dropped through that hole, and began to seek out the item or items that had maintained the curse on the Annex for quite some length of time before, while also seeking to expand its reach in and around the Annex as it was still searching for the necessary item or items in it. Parts of the gigantic energy ball periodically flashed out from time to time to destroy any potential defenders that might arise to try to keep them from finding and/or destroying the necessary item or items maintaining the curse well enough, and some flashed out from time to time to try to attack the barrier from inside it, as well. Soon the huge energy ball was joined by any number of smaller ones sent by several of the Senshi and Knights, once they'd had the chance to regain at least some of the energy that they'd just been expending here, if not all of it. The balls were each sent by a maximum of two people per ball, though. And they were each much smaller than they would be if their creators were at full combat strength here, of course, quite naturally enough.

The various small balls moved through various parts of the Annex as they saw fit, and attacked any potential defenders or the barrier from inside it as they then saw fit, as best as they then could. In time, the barrier completely shattered from the inside, due to the attacks from those same small balls of assorted energy kinds. And then the surviving small energy balls went in search of the gigantic ball of energy that was now attacking yet another barrier around several items of various kinds. The barrier was still just about as strong as the barrier that'd just been taken down here had been before it'd come under attack some time before, but it was beginning to show signs of being stressed by the sheer weight and size of the energy ball that still remained from before. The other balls of energy soon began bashing on the barrier as well, once they found out well enough where the largest energy ball was of them all, for that matter. Several minutes later, then, the barrier finally gave way sufficiently well to reveal what it had been shielding quite well enough and to allow any number of sentient beings to access whatever thing or things it had been doing that for here.

They soon located the object in question, and it was, in fact, a certain sword. A certain fully-sheathed sword by the name of the Hina Blade, for that matter. The curse that had maintained the barriers the Senshi and their present male allies had just battled to break through was soon broken and removed permanently from the Annex and the rest of the premises on which the Hinata Apartments now stood, courtesy of all the now-present Senshi and Knights, by the way. And the sword was soon purified as necessary by the Senshi and Knights on Sailor Moon's team of them, in very short order, as well. Once it was, Sailor Moon then handed the Hina Blade to Hinata Knight, AKA Keitaro Urashima, who then placed it next to the now-sheathed sword already on his left hip.

Keitaro had used a scimitar-like sword to unleash several attacks of his very own as needed against the now-destroyed barriers or potential obstacles for everyone here, in fact. This particular scimitar-like sword had materialized at his belt when his suit of armor appeared around him as he powered up into his Knight form of Hinata Knight, for that matter. There were various somewhat unfamiliar designs etched into either side of the blade of that sword, and most of them were in the form of stylized suns. Though not all of them were, just the same, most of them were. The sword's name was Urashima-Akyushio, quite strangely enough. And it was a sword that was largely forged with certain metals that weren't necessarily of Sol System origin, by the way. At least for the most part, if not entirely, anyway. It was a very old sword indeed, but it still looked much more recently-made than it actually was. It was just about 3,000 years old, more or less, in actual physical reality, but looked as if it were only about 30 years old, at most, more or less.

After Sailor Moon handed the Hina Blade to Hinata Knight, Hinata Knight said, "I take it that our business here is concluded, then, Sailor Moon. At least at the current time, anyway."

"Hold on, Hinata Knight. Several of the others are in the process of confirming that well enough here. If they say that it is, we will act as then necessary here, and not before then. Otherwise, we'll stay here and attend to whatever other business we'd still have to attend to here before we can leave here well enough for a long enough period of time, of course."

Everyone waited for sufficient enough confirmation of what Sailor Moon had just said here, as needed, for at least another ten to fifteen minutes after she said those things to Hinata Knight, before the Senshi and Knights that Sailor Moon had just referred to here finally gave the all-clear to them all here. Sylvia, currently in her Sailor Skyhorse form, said, "Sailors Mars, Jeroru, and I think that we've actually all taken care of all the necessary things and assorted hostile beings here as needed sufficiently well. We could all be quite wrong about that here and now, of course. But the three of us still don't currently sense any potential problems of any possible kind whatsoever still being somehow present anywhere around here quite well enough. We're not saying that there aren't any such problems anywhere at all still around here, mind you all. But at least as far as we can all currently tell well enough, somehow, there actually seems to be no more such problems around here. At least not at the present time, anyway. It could be that they're very well-hidden here, and so well-hidden that we won't find them unless they decide they wish to let us find them, for that matter. So I suppose we can all leave here for at least a little while, then, if not for a long while, just the same."

After at least a cursory final survey/inspection of the Annex and the immediate area by the now-present Senshi and Knights as needed here, all 26 of them, and the five others who had watched them all battle as needed here against the barriers and the curse that had been placed on the Annex, then, everyone soon left for the main part of the grounds for the Hinata Apartments, just as soon as they possibly could do just that here quite well enough. As soon as it was safe enough for them all to do so well enough, then, everyone soon powered down into their respective civilian states of being, as appropriate here. Not too long after that, a good-sized number of the young women here decided to hit the hot springs with each other for quite some time. This, of course, was for all the obvious reasons here.

The young women who'd just decided to hit the hot springs then conversed with each other for quite some length of time indeed about the very difficult battle they'd largely just participated in with each other alongside several Knights. The aforementioned just-ended battle was only one topic of several that they all discussed with each other while they were all in the hot springs together, though. The young women then in question here generally remained in the hot springs chatting and bathing with each other, at least, for at least thirty minutes, if not for at least an hour, before eventually leaving it behind here again. With or without certain others accompanying them out of the hot springs when they each decided to leave it for anywhere else on the grounds of the Hinata Apartments, for that matter. When all the aforementioned young women finally were out of it quite well enough, the young men had their turn at the hot springs as they so desired or needed here, with the female residents' willing consent.

The young men who decided to hit the hot springs as well also discussed the battle at some length with each other, of course. And they also periodically discussed various other things or other people that actually came to their own respective minds as they all were then sitting in them near each other, quite naturally enough. Keitaro asked, "Chiba-san, how long have you known Usagi, by any chance at all?"

"Nearly three years, in this particular time period, Urashima-san. Why do you ask?"

"You two seem to be rather close to each other. Almost as if you'd known each other for much longer than that, in fact."

"As a matter of fact, we have, believe it or not. We knew each other about a thousand years before, if you can believe that."

"That seems very hard to believe, Chiba-san," said Shinichi, sitting a few yards away from both Keitaro and Mamoru here.

"Well, it's true. You see, this is not the first time period we've known each other in. And it won't be the last, if one of our associates is sufficiently right in her predictions of the future. Or at least one potential future of ours, anyway, that is, Kudo-san, if I'm not too mistaken about your name here."

"I don't understand, Chiba-san," said Shinichi.

Mamoru thought for a minute, and then said, "I wonder how much I can tell you of our past, Kudo-san."

Just then, Queen Serenity's voice came from behind a rock near Mamoru, yet with her out of sight of all the males now present in the hot springs, "Endymion, I have just talked briefly with Sailor Pluto, and she says you can tell Kudo and Urashima of the Dark Kingdom, and of the events of your time battling them, both in the distant past and in your current time period. But you can't reveal anything that happened after Beryl was defeated in your current time period, in any case at all, just the same." And he was the only one to hear her here at the current time.

"Are you sure, Queen Serenity?" asked Mamoru, without the others being able to hear or see him do so sufficiently well enough here and now

"Yes. You can't tell them of times later than that, for certain reasons I can't divulge fully enough to you at this particular time, at least. You may tell them of the Moon Kingdom and your various associates' first major conflict in your current time period. But nothing after the defeat of the Dark Kingdom can you tell them about here, at least as it pertains to the battles that you've fought since then, and which you haven't already discussed here and now, for that matter. They must find out about those other battles by themselves, without any voluntary assistance from you, for at least the time being, if not permanently, due to the reasons I just gave to you here."

"Very well, Queen Serenity. I shall follow your directions here, then, in that sort of thing."

"Good. Say hello to my daughter for me, then, and please stay as safe as you possibly can, until the next time we hear from or see each other well enough. Goodbye for now, and God bless, and all that, then."

"Same to you, Queen Serenity. I just wish there was a way for us to warn our past selves about events yet in your future there. And to help them out well enough, so such events never even took place, of course."

"Well, at the moment, at least, there isn't, Endymion. So we who are still present in this time period somehow must still valiantly do whatever we possibly can in order to survive until our time is finally over in this time period from whence you originally came. We aren't evidently going to be able to save the Moon Kingdom of this time, somehow, but perhaps sometime later on in your current future, it still will eventually rise again, after you eventually marry my daughter, you know."

"I hope so. For it was often quite enjoyable for many of us to be on the Moon of that time, I'm quite sure."

"Well, I'm almost out of time here to talk to you now, Endymion. So I'd best close this, of course. Perhaps we'll talk again later, God willing."

"I think we'd all quite enjoy that, if and whenever possible, of course, Queen Serenity."

"I'll see what I can actually do to make quite sure that's possible somehow later on, if and whenever possible, then, Endymion. Now I must go, for Pluto is saying my available time to talk to you here and now is going to be up in just a few seconds or so, if her math is sufficiently accurate here. May the light of Truth and Justice shine on you all until we all meet again, somehow, God willing."

"Agreed. Take care of everyone back there as best as you possibly can, of course, then, Queen Serenity."

"As I always do, Endymion. Until next time, if there is a next time, farewell, Endymion." Then Serenity said no more, and her voice soon faded away like a light breeze occasionally blowing leaves from one place to another during a typical autumn day.

Mamoru contemplated all that they'd just discussed with each other, without anyone else's current knowledge of their just-ended conversation. And he soon began to tell Keitaro and Shinichi of all the things that he could then tell them both about here and now. He didn't actually need to tell Shingo, Rolando, and Gurio about those various things here, however. For they already had all learned about them some length of time before. Either through direct personal experience or through any number of conversations with any number of the various females then in their respective lives since the Senshi and/or Knights had begun awakening in their current time period, in fact.

When Mamoru finally got done telling Keitaro and Shinichi of all the things that he then could tell them both about here and now, Shinichi eventually said, "Interesting, Chiba-san. That would explain quite a bit, I'm quite sure, about why Ran, for instance, might be able to transform into Sailor Ersumu well enough. She, or at least some young woman who looked quite like her, was evidently present when the Moon Kingdom fell, it seems. She, or her look-alike, was part of a group of survivors from Ersumu who'd been forced to escape from the Hinata system with any number of other sentient enough inhabitants from that solar system, due to an invasion of a certain evil force. And the Moon Kingdom took them in, hoping to protect them against that evil force, somehow, but the Dark Kingdom you spoke of earlier overwhelmed the Moon Kingdom's forces, and took out every sentient being that they could who wasn't then on their side of things in their quest to conquer or destroy the Moon Kingdom. Even Princess Serenity and you as Prince Endymion, for that matter. From what you told us, then, Queen Serenity sent whatever and whoever she could into this particular time period. Several of you have now awoken as Senshi or Knight-type beings, and many more may very well do so as well in the future, if I get your drift well enough here. Supposing that they haven't already done so well enough by now, of course."

"Yes, that's right, Kudo-san. It was and is as you say. We prefer peace, though, but we'll still fight, if and whenever necessary, to the very best of our respective abilities to do so. We'll do this, as we've already often done, in order to protect those who can't actually defend themselves well enough, if and whenever necessary, of course."

Eventually, all the young men who were then in the hot springs with each other decided to leave it behind, and get dressed, of course. Once they were each dressed as needed, when needed, they all soon found various things to occupy their time with for at least a little while, if not a long while, quite naturally enough. And they didn't generally see each other again until about 6:30 or so, at the very earliest, if they didn't want or need to do just that, in fact.

Supper was at 7 pm, right on the nose, and it was relatively pleasant indeed for all the people and animals who were actually present for it then. Keitaro and Motoki soon helped Makoto and Shinobu put various things away as needed and as appropriate after supper ended. And then everyone soon dispersed themselves to various other areas of the entire Hinata Apartments' grounds, if they'd not already done so by the time that Shinobu, Makoto, Keitaro, and Motoki helped each other sufficiently well in the kitchen area for them. Keitaro even began helping several of the other young men now present on those very grounds actually move all their things to various yet-unclaimed rooms in the now-available and now-purified Annex. And even at least some, if not all, of the now-present young women helped out at least a little bit, if not a lot, in that particular regard as well, for that matter.

Eventually, all the now-present males on the grounds were in rooms they'd each picked out for themselves quite well enough, and beginning to settle into them, where necessary. Of course, Keitaro wasn't one of those males here, for the obvious reasons. But Mamoru, Ryo, Yuuichirou, Shinozaki, Kohaku, Motoki, Shingo, Rolando, and Shinichi, at least, most certainly were each one of those particular males, quite naturally enough here. Several, though not necessarily all, of the girls helped them settle into them at least a little bit, wherever and whenever it was appropriate enough for them to do just that in the Annex's various now-claimed rooms. But all the girls eventually went back to the girls-only dorm for the rest of the night, when they then needed to do just that on the current night, just the same, whether they really wanted to or not. And Keitaro soon followed them back to it as well, seeing as his own sleeping area was back there too.

After Keitaro left the other males alone in their new temporary dorm on the grounds, the young men eventually found other things to do amongst themselves, whether or not it was time for them to retire to their respective beds for the rest of the night when he parted from them as already stated. Eventually, though, they did all retire to their own respective beds in their new rooms, of course, and went to sleep not long after entering those beds of theirs, for that matter. They were each quite soundly asleep in their respective beds within five to ten minutes of each of them climbing into their beds, in any case whatsoever. And so they slept until they were woken up by any number of wake-up calls to them from the girls' dorm, courtesy of Keitaro. For he had previously arranged it so that each new male tenant would have a phone somewhere in each of their rooms, once they'd chosen which rooms they'd each want to have as theirs while they were each still staying on the grounds of the Hinata Apartments quite well enough. Shinobu, Keitaro, Ami, and Kaolla had all seen to the proper placement and installation of each phone as needed in those rooms, once they had been claimed by the new male tenants as needed and as appropriate here, in fact. The wake-up calls came to the new male tenants between 7:45 and 8 in the morning of June 18, 1993. And all of them were sufficiently ready for the day ahead by no later than 8:30 in the morning, at the very most.

* * *

Well, there's the fourth chapter of _The One You Miss Most_, everyone. I hope you enjoyed it quite a bit indeed here, of course. If you did, please feel reasonably free to leave me some quite clean, quite courteous, and quite constructive reviews, if you so choose. If you didn't like certain parts of it, then please feel free, within fair enough and decent enough reason, to leave me reviews of that nature that tell me well enough what you didn't like about it. I will then take your opinions into account as I write the next section or two, at least, of this particular story of mine here, just as best as I possibly can, quite naturally enough.

Until later, then, I'll close this here, and leave you all wondering just what might actually happen next for this story here, people. Will there be another big battle, or will there be more romance, or what, in this story's next chapter? You'll all just have to find out later, then, of course. Far be it for me to spoil the rest of the story here for you all, then, for all the obvious reasons. Please do try to take really good care of yourselves, for sure, and may you all find your ways quite easily back here to this story very soon indeed. God willing, that is, quite naturally enough. TUS out!


	5. Chapter Five: Romance & Religion?

This is a much longer chapter than I thought it would be, but hopefully, it will still meet sufficiently enough with your approvals here. It also changed quite considerably from what I'd originally expected it to turn out like by the time I was done with it. I was planning for it to follow another path, but it chose to not follow that path. Hopefully, its choice will not have weakened the story here too much, if at all. But I leave it entirely up to you to decide whether or not it did so here or not, of course, everyone. I will say this, however, at least. There are at least some bits of romance in this chapter, and the rest of the Hinata Solar System's chosen Senshi and Knights finally appear on the scene as needed. In order for you all to find out just who shares those bits of romance in this chapter, at least, you'll just have to read and find out, quite naturally enough. If you read it quite well enough, you might even be able to pick up at least a little foreshadowing of certain events by the end of this chapter here for that matter.

Well, I suppose that I'd best close this introduction before I spoil too much of the chapter below, of course. I'll see you all at the bottom of it, I hope, then, of course! TUS out.

* * *

Chapter Five: Romantic Episodes and Religious Discussions?

* * *

Later that day, Usagi eventually asked Keitaro, "Is there a secure enough place on these grounds where we could possibly train with each other as Senshi and/or Knights while we're still residents at the Hinata Apartments, by any chance at all, Keitaro?" All the Juubanites, with the exception of Ami, and all the Hinatans, with the exception of both Haruka and Kaolla, were assembled in the main room, doing various things with each other as they then saw fit to here and now.

"I believe there is just such a place on them somewhere. About how large an area are you perhaps talking about, then?"

"Perhaps about one square mile, at least, if not more, I figure, is what we'd need to have available for us to train in, if at all possible."

Keitaro thought for a minute or so, and soon said, "I don't know if we have that much secure area under our control here, but perhaps we have at least half that amount of sufficiently secure area available to you all here, if not more, Usagi."

"I see. Well, if you don't actually happen to somehow have more than that, then we'll all just have to make do with whatever amount of secure enough area that you do have available to you all at present, it seems, Keitaro," said Usagi, after a bit of silent thought here from her, in fact.

Keitaro and the Hinatans studied their new Juubanite friends for at least a little while after Usagi said that, and eventually, Shinobu asked, "You seem to have at least one other thing on your mind now, Usagi."

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Ami suddenly came up with at least one or two rather unexpected ideas, if not more than just one or two such ideas, while she was still sleeping last night, Shinobu," answered Usagi. "She doesn't know if they might possibly work well enough here for all sufficiently concerned parties here, though. Kaolla thinks that she should mention it or them to the rest of you Hinatans, but Ami seems to be strangely concerned that it might not be all that wise for her to do so, for some yet-unknown reason she hasn't yet shared with us Juubanites well enough, if to any degree whatsoever at all so far."

"I don't understand, Usagi."

"This idea or these ideas of hers may prove to be very risky, and potentially very dangerous, she seems to think, if things don't go exactly as they might need to for them to work out well enough for all the necessary parties here, you see, Shinobu."

"How so, if I might ask, could they be?"

"She now seems to think that there is a very good possibility indeed that this idea or these ideas might possibly make it somehow much easier for our future enemy or enemies to actually find and/or attack any or all of us sufficiently well, if certain things don't go quite as they'd then need to go for all necessary parties here on our particular side of things. That may very well be quite true indeed here, I admit, Shinobu, but we've quite often been known to find ourselves in almost-impossible situations for us to survive well enough in, if not totally-impossible ones. We've all practically been to the brink of death, or nearly so, in many, if not most or all, of our previous conflicts as Senshi and/or Knights. If not even past that point in at least one of our cases, perhaps, for that matter. That's if I'm not too mistaken about such things here too much, of course."

"What did she come up with while sleeping last night, then, Usagi?" asked Koushoku.

"Ami thought that it might possibly be a good idea to create an underground network of caverns in which we and many other sentients could then live in if our future enemy or enemies somehow forced an evacuation of the Hinata Apartments and/or the Hinata City local area for at least a little while, if not permanently. However, the technology that would probably be required to create that particular network of caverns quite well enough might not yet be found on Earth to a sufficient enough degree, she thinks. Or if it is, she doesn't exactly know just where to find it easily enough and how to acquire it easily enough, you see, Koushoku."

"I see. Is this particular technology perhaps quite common in the future, then?" Koushoku asked, a few brief moments later.

"According to my future daughter Chiba-Usa, it is. But unless we have help from the future, somehow, I don't really know if we'll have access to it well enough. Unless, of course, we somehow steal it well enough from our future enemy or enemies, that is, Koushoku," said Usagi.

"You can't exactly tell us what technology you're talking about right now, can you, Usagi?" asked Mutsumi.

"No, not unless my mother Queen Serenity or Sailor Pluto say I can, I can't really do so, or I might adversely change the future, it seems. And if that's true for me, it's quite obviously going to be true for those associates of mine who've been to the future before with or without me, of course, Mutsumi."

"Is it a matter of honor that you don't tell us, perhaps, Usagi-san?" asked Motoko.

"No, I wouldn't put it quite that way, perhaps, Motoko-chan. I would probably say, though, that it's a Sailor Senshi and/or Knight-type thing, if I'm not too mistaken here. It can be quite dangerous, it seems, for people to know too much about their own future. At least that's what Pluto once told me during our conflict with the Dark Moon Family, that is."

"What does she know about the future, at least as it pertains to us Hinatans, then?" asked Kitsune.

"Not much. The future, at least as it deals with you Hinatans, seems somewhat cloudy to her at the current time, for some yet-unknown reason. Perhaps it's because your whole team of Hinata System Senshi and Knights hasn't yet assembled around here sufficiently well, or because of some other reason or reasons we don't yet know of well enough, Konno-san."

"I suppose any of those possibilities might just be the case here currently, then, Usagi-san," Kitsune eventually replied, after thinking it over a little bit here, at least. If not a lot. At this time, Kitsune was then sipping periodically from a can of lemon-flavored soda, in fact. Kitsune had begun to often drink soda in an attempt to keep herself from falling back into her old habits of drinking alcoholic beverages, and was succeeding in that quest, though not without at least some still-considerable effort on her part. She wasn't drinking so much soda that she was getting overly hooked on it. But she had still consumed many cans of it and/or many cans of assorted teas ever since she'd rather suddenly taken all of her alcoholic beverages and bottles and given them to Motoko to do with as she then saw fit to some length of time before, just the same.

"Yes, I would suppose so too, Konno-san. Several rather important questions, though, come to mind as we're discussing what we're now discussing here."

"And those several questions are?" asked Kaolla, as she and Ami suddenly appeared on the scene with everyone else who was already sitting or standing near each other here, much to the previously-present Hinatans' surprise, but not to the Juubanites's surprise. For they'd often known Ami to be somewhat clever indeed at times when she didn't really want to be seen at all quite well enough, in fact.

"Where are they now? Why aren't they here? Who are they? When might they get here? What might they look like? And just how might they get here?" asked Usagi.

Just then, Queen Serenity's voice said, all of a sudden, from some yet-unknown location on the grounds for the Apartments, rather secretly indeed to Usagi, "They're each currently elsewhere in your world, Serenity. They each aren't with you yet, for they're each winding things up wherever they each now are in your world. Who they each are, you'll remember, once they each meet up with you again. When they'll each get there is still quite unknown to both Pluto and me. What they'll each happen to look like, though, you'll each find out when they finally get there. And as to just how they'll each get there, you'll also have to wait in order to find out, it seems. Pluto really doesn't currently know any more than where they each are now, why they're each not with you now, and who they each are, and I really don't know either, for that matter. As for any or all of you perhaps trying to find out where I actually am right now, you won't be able to find me anywhere. Because by the time you might all get to just where I'm now somewhere on the grounds of the Hinata Apartments, this particular conversation of ours will be over. I can still actually say, though, that if our mutual suspicions are sufficiently accurate, somehow, you may possibly see them before several of the Hinatans travel for a while. My and Pluto's mutual suspicions about them, that is."

"Mother, are you sure that you can't come to the future, somehow?"

"I'm already there, in at least one form, somehow, according to Pluto. And if I'm not mistaken, you might eventually find yourselves encountering her, if you haven't already done so in your own respective lives, of course."

"This is so unfair, Mother."

"Yes, I know. You actually want to be able to see me in actual solid physical form again, somehow, at least once more, Serenity. But that's just not possible. At least not right now, if ever again, anyway, for you and all of your current associates, you know."

"Because of that evil Beryl, among many other sentient beings and/or entities, of course."

"Yes, Serenity. She and many others ruined our civilization. Fortunately, if I'm not too mistaken, you'll never have to deal with them again like we did in two time periods, my dear daughter. Now I must leave you yet again, for your other self in my time period is calling for my attention here, it seems. Evidently your other self has gotten herself in trouble with several others for not waking up when she perhaps should have for something of major importance to at least one of her closest friends, you see."

"Let me guess. Rei, at least for the most part?"

"Yes, it seems so. She's in trouble mainly with Rei's other self for not waking up for an archery competition as early as she probably should have woken up, it seems, according to what I'm now hearing from your other self and the other selves of several other young women you can probably guess the identities of well enough."

"I suppose you have to go rescue her from their possible wrath, then?"

"Yes, it seems so. I'll have to catch you later, then, evidently, Serenity. God willing, of course."

"Understood. This really stinks, though, Mother."

"I know, Serenity. But it can't really be helped now."

"Stay as safe as possible, then, Mother."

"You too, Serenity. Now I must stop your other self from getting into a sufficiently major fight with the other selves of various others, for things are really starting to get loud here, it seems. Sorry about this, but I must go now. I wish we really had more time to talk now with each other, though."

"Do what you now have to do, then. I'll deal with this parting as best as I can, of course, in the meantime, at least, Mother. I really hope to talk again at quite some length with you quite soon indeed, quite obviously enough."

"Of course, my dearest Serenity. Until sometime later, then, God willing." Queen Serenity then said no more to Usagi here, and her voice faded away just as it'd actually done some length of time before when Mamoru's previous still-secret conversation with Queen Serenity had ultimately ended while he'd still been in the hot springs with several young men earlier. As Queen Serenity had said moments before, when everyone got to where Queen Serenity had been speaking to Usagi from on the grounds, she was nowhere at all to be found on them, in fact.

Usagi soon found herself brushing her fingers over a particular statue in a garden of sorts somewhere on the grounds of the Apartments, and it largely resembled the form of her Moon mother, quite strangely enough. She soon asked, "Have any of you ever seen this statute before on these grounds, by any chance at all?"

Everyone looked at the statue in question here, and Keitaro eventually spoke for everyone else, saying, "No, we haven't, it seems, Usagi."

"This statue rather strangely indeed largely resembles my mother from the Moon, Keitaro. I also do not recognize several of the other statues also present in this garden of sorts, either, for that matter. And I didn't even know you actually had a garden of sorts on these grounds, either. Or at least not one like this one, anyway."

"We didn't have one on them like this, if memory serves me well enough here, Usagi," said Keitaro. "At least not yesterday, anyway."

"That is quite correct, Urashima-san. It wasn't here yesterday like it now is. It only started to appear after midnight, in fact. You gave us all a considerably in-depth tour of these grounds before we went after the curse on the Annex, remember?"

"Yes, I remember. But how does this tour and the now-broken curse play into this, then?"

"Later on, after the curse had been broken quite well enough in and around the Annex here, several of the others, or at least their dream selves, if not themselves in a physical enough sense, unexpectedly found themselves, sleepwalking temporarily in this particular area of the grounds, and they unconsciously began to help the garden of sorts appear here. Specifically, I'm referring at least to Midori, Gurio, Makoto, Shinozaki, Kagome, Sylvia, and Rolando, if not to anyone else as well, everyone. I suppose the now-broken curse played a part in this sort of thing here for the simple reason that its reach somehow managed to extend to this area of the grounds somehow, whether it did so underground or now. Now that the curse has been broken sufficiently well, it evidently allowed this place to return to a long-unavailable state of existence, it seems to me."

"That still doesn't quite explain just how a statue largely resembling Usagi's Moon mother appeared here, though," said Ran.

"Perhaps it was long hidden, due to the curse, Mouri-san?" asked Mamoru.

"I suppose. What do you think, Shinichi?"

"It seems logical enough, Ran, though rather far-fetched. Yet, based on what I've come to find out since I first got here, it seems a reasonable enough possibility here. I wonder what Sherlock Holmes would say in a situation like this, though, for that matter."

"No doubt you would, Shinichi," said Ran, with a rather brief twinkle in her eye directed solely at her boyfriend, once she was quite sure that nobody else could see her direct it at Shinichi well enough at the current time.

Everyone now present explored the garden of sorts at quite some length, before Usagi said, "This might be a quite good place to assemble in, if not train in, whenever we're actually training with each other as Senshi and/or Knights, Keitaro. I also suddenly somehow noticed while we were all still exploring this garden of sorts with each other, for that matter, a quite-secluded clearing of sufficient size that we could all perhaps train in as such, if we weren't actually training as such here in this place with each other."

"How could we all secure it quite well enough, perhaps, from unnecessary intrusions into it, by any chance, then, Usagi-chan?" asked Sango.

"It shouldn't be too hard for us to do that quite well enough, I think. And there might even be a way for us to build at least a few areas in it to hold our various training items and any number of other things in well enough whenever we're not actually training with each other there or here, for that matter, Sango," said Usagi.

Luna piped in, "I agree, Usagi. Question is, will you all be able to get enough good training time with each other before our future enemy or enemies begin to make their respective moves well enough in and around here or Tokyo, for that matter?"

"We'll just have to see what we can do before then, of course, Luna. Hopefully, we will. Although I really do wish none of us actually even had to do just that at all, you know."

"Yes, I know, Usagi. But facts are facts. As long as there are evil forces to fight, and the need for any number of Senshi and/or Knight-type heroes and heroines to be present, though, there probably will always be a need for Sailor Moon and the rest of her team of Senshi and Knights, at least, I think. If and whenever possible, that is."

"True enough, I suppose. But I really don't like fighting evil beings, just the same, of course!"

"Nor do any of the rest of your teammates, I'm quite sure."

* * *

Eventually, everyone returned to the main part of the Hinata Apartments for a late lunch, this time made by both Narus, Gurio, Keitaro, and Rolando, at least. It wasn't quite as well-put together as Makoto and/or Shinobu might generally ever put a typical meal's buffet together, of course. But everything provided for it by the makers of it was still reasonably edible and reasonably drinkable for all concerned parties, just the same, in any case at all here. After that late lunch, then, everyone soon dispersed to various places on the grounds of the Apartments as they each saw fit to do that here and now.

The last two of them to disperse to various other places on the grounds, then, were Mutsumi and Keitaro, in fact. They eventually found themselves alone sharing a watermelon and banana-flavored milkshake that Kaolla had suddenly placed in front of them as she was beginning to head towards her room where Ami was already waiting for her to rejoin her there. The milkshake had two straws placed in it, and Kaolla had said, "A special treat for you both, at my and Minako's suggestion here. Enjoy, and see you at supper, you two, if at all possible."

They shared the shake with each other for a little while, and eventually Mutsumi said, "She is quite a girl, Keitaro."

"Who is, Mutsumi?"

"Kaolla. She's going to miss having you around here, and so will I."

"I'm not dead just yet, Mutsumi."

"No, you're not. But I don't feel it's right that you have to deal with the possibility that this thing you have could very well kill you very soon indeed. None of us do. I most especially don't want to lose the particular boy that I made the promise to so long ago, either. You're just too special to me, Kei-kun. You never should have been zapped like you were, and like others quite possibly were as well."

"No, I shouldn't have, and neither should have any of the others who might have been zapped then, but the fact is that I was. And now I have to deal with the fact that my time on this Earth of ours may not be as long as we'd all expected it to be, you know, Mutsumi. I don't want to leave all of you behind either, but it looks quite likely that I'll do just that sometime in the near future, just the same, and maybe sooner rather than later. I hope not, of course. But it most certainly looks that way to me, at least, right now, if not anyone else as well around here or anywhere else."

"I understand, Kei-kun. However, you should do whatever you possibly can in order to save as much strength as you possibly can, so that you might somehow live longer in your life before worse comes to worst, if it ever does, you know. We don't want to lose you before we absolutely have to, if we can possibly ever avoid it somehow. Yes, you're most likely going to be dead for at least a little while, but hopefully not long enough for us to be unable to eventually save you somehow later on. As you said, you're not dead just yet. So hold on to each of us as best as you can while you still can, and while we try to make whatever time you might have left with us now just as pleasant for you as we possibly can all make it for you. Okay?"

"I'll try to do just that, then, Mutsumi. It may be quite hard for me to do just that, but I'll still do what I possibly can to do just that, I promise."

"Good. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to kiss you at least once, if not more than once, Kei-kun. I hope you won't mind too much?"

"What do you think the others would say, if they caught you doing that, Mutsumi?"

"They won't say anything, Senpai. Remember, I promised they each would have a chance to do what I did, and what Mutsumi now wants to do to you, earlier," said Shinobu, as she suddenly entered the kitchen with a few empty glasses and an empty platter with plenty of cookie crumbs on it.

"Yes, I seem to recall you saying that, Shinobu. May I ask why you're down here now, then, if it's not too much of an imposition?"

"I'm only down here just because I need to be getting at least a bit more food and drink now for Minako, Usagi, their cats, and I, that's all, Senpai. They and I are all having quite a bit of conversation about any number of assorted things, including about certain things sufficiently related to people actually being Sailor Senshi, in fact, just so you know. The other five girls from here and our very own Haruka will eventually learn about several of the very same things that I've just been discussing at quite considerable length with Minako, Usagi, Luna and Artemis for quite a while in my room, for sure, including Mutsumi, quite naturally enough. It also somehow seems that I may very well be the normal effective combat leader of the Senshi and/or Knights on our own particular team of them, quite possibly, once our team is sufficiently assembled together well enough. Much like Minako normally is for Usagi's Guardian Senshi as Sailor Venus, that is. While Usagi is the chief leader of her entire Senshi and Knight team, or she's at least one of the two chief leaders of it, as Sailor Moon, Minako, as Sailor Venus, is normally the effective combat leader for Usagi's Guardian Senshi. I may not ultimately be the chief leader of the Hinata System's Senshi and Knight team, but I could very well be the normal effective combat leader of them, by the way."

Keitaro thought about that for a few moments, as Shinobu refilled the necessary glasses and placed more cookies and other things on the platter, and then asked, "Do you want to be the normal effective combat leader of our team of Senshi and Knights, then, Shinobu?"

"Not really. Either Motoko or Koushoku would perhaps be a much better choice, I think. But if I need to be that, somehow, for at least a little while, so be it. I may not like it, mind you, but if that's what's necessary for us all, whenever we might fight against our future enemy or enemies, then I'll have to lead, it seems. At least as long as I'm able to, and as long as I need to, that is, Senpai."

"I believe you can be a great leader of our team, if that becomes necessary, Shinobu. I hope you're not forced into it, but what will be the case, will be the case, whether any or all of us might like it or not. Just remember to try to keep your promise that you made to me earlier to the best of your ability to do just that, okay?"

"Of course, Senpai. I'll always try to do just that to the best of my ability to do so, no matter what might happen to any or all of us, then, of course."

"Good, Shinobu. I believe in you very much, you know."

"Thank you, my beloved." Shinobu left almost immediately afterward, with no further looks at, and no further words said, to either Mutsumi and Keitaro here. And a smile was on her face when she did so, for that matter.

After she left, Mutsumi then set aside the now-empty glass that'd held the milkshake Kaolla had placed between her and Keitaro earlier, and reached across the table with her hands for Keitaro's face. Not quite being able to reach him well enough here, she then rose from her chair at it, and soon pulled him out of his own at it. That done, she suddenly pulled him into the nearby walk-in pantry, and turned on one of the lights above their heads there.

She had him sit on a stool in it, and took one for her to sit on as well, once she'd secured the nearest sliding door for it well enough from the inside. Mutsumi placed her stool next to his in the pantry, and then removed his glasses from his face, placing them in a pocket of the overalls-style dress she was currently wearing here. That done, she then brought her hands to his face, placing them gently under his chin briefly before beginning to run them up and down his face here. She eventually placed her hands on his cheeks and held his head steady enough for her to then do what she actually wanted to do here with him. Several seconds later, her lips found their ways to both his cheeks, and graced them with at least a few brief pecks on them for a little while. Not for a very long while, but still for at least half a minute or so, if not at least a minute or so. And no more than two or so minutes, in any case whatsoever.

When she felt she'd pecked him on both cheeks for a long enough time, she then released the hook-and-eye-style catch that currently was keeping them from being interrupted by anyone while they were in the walk-in pantry with each other. That done, she then opened that door, and let him leave the pantry first, if he so desired. Before he did so, though, he said, "That was quite interesting of you to do here, Mutsumi. Pulling me in here to smooch me for a while, that is."

"Yes, Kei-kun, I suppose it was. I hope my kisses pleased you quite considerably indeed, of course."

"You could say that, I suppose. You're a good kisser too, I think. Just like Shinobu is, from what I can currently tell. Though I'm not quite sure which of you two has kissed me better so far, to be totally honest with you here, Mutsumi."

"Well, we'll just have to see how the other girls kiss you then, I suppose, for you to find out which of us Hinatan girls kisses you the best, right?"

"If you say so, but I'm not really wanting to hurt any of you girls' feelings about that sort of thing, if I can possibly avoid it at all here, you know."

"That sounds reasonable enough. You're thinking kissing isn't necessarily as important as we girls might make it out to be, or as many guys might?"

"That's right. It's just one possible element in a potential romantic relationship, you see. I mean, I could end up with someone who doesn't really like kissing, and who isn't too good at it, but who is much better in any number of other ways than other young women might be, you know, Mutsumi. Kissing will not be the only thing that might affect my future choice of a mate or choices of any mates, for sure. It might play at least some part in my choice or choices of it or them, but it most certainly won't be the only element that might factor into such a decision or such decisions."

Mutsumi soon left Keitaro alone again for at least a little while, if not a long while, and she went to her room to read a book she'd recently gotten for herself. Keitaro, for his part, decided to go up to the roof and sketch whatever came to mind while he was up there doing so, for that matter. After stopping briefly to pick up his drawing supplies from his room, he then went up to the roof to sketch for at least a little while, as already stated.

When he reached the roof, there were several people already sitting in various places on it, or practice-dueling with each other on it, as the case might be for each of them. At the current time, for instance, Makoto and Motoko were practice-dueling with each other while using wooden swords. Shinobu, Kitsune, Koushoku, Gurio, and Midori were paying the most attention to the two current duelists on the roof here. Shinozaki, Yuuichirou, Kohaku, and Ryo were chatting with each other elsewhere on the roof, as were Mamoru and Usagi some distance away from the four boyfriends of Usagi's Guardian Senshi. Mamoru and Usagi, though, were sharing a semi-private moment with each other, with the full knowledge and the full consent of the others besides Keitaro then on the roof. Kagome, Sango, Rolando, and Sylvia were now away temporarily from the Hinata Apartments' grounds, on semi-personal errands of their own, while Reika, Motoki, Mutsumi, Ami, and Kaolla were now with each other in Kaolla's room, at Kaolla's own request here. As for Rei, Minako, Shingo, Mika, Luna, and Artemis, they were all downstairs in or near the hot springs with each other now. Quite obviously enough, then, all four young humans were wearing swimsuits of various kinds while with each other there.

* * *

Shingo had requested some advice from Rei, Minako, and Mika, in terms of what might be a good birthday present for his sister Usagi, as the three aforementioned girls were each starting to head to the hot springs for at least a little bit with each other. They all soon agreed to try to help him out well enough here, under one quite obvious condition. That quite obvious condition being that they all would have to wear swimsuits while they were in the hot springs with each other, of course. He quite readily agreed with that condition, quite obviously enough. Ten minutes after they'd agreed to meet with him there, then, they were all suitably attired and in the hot springs with each other, at the very most.

Shingo soon said, "As you might all very well know by now, Usagi is just about to turn 17 years old. And I want to do something really special for her, seeing as this will be the last year of high school for her before she begins college somewhere, if at all possible. She is hoping to perhaps go overseas for college, if she possibly can, and maybe even get married before she gets done with it. This may very well be the last birthday she'll have before she leaves home to start a new life on her own, and I want to try to make it rather special for her, if I possibly can do just that somehow, you see, girls."

Minako thought about what Shingo had just said for at least a few minutes, and then asked, "What were you perhaps thinking of doing for her, then, Shingo?"

"I was thinking of making it possible for her to go to an anime/manga-related convention of some sort, or trying to get her a job of some sort working on some sort of anime or manga series, Minako-san. But it seems that such a thing might possibly be out of my current price range. You see, it seems that I can only pay about a third of what it might possibly cost to go to one of the major conventions for such things sometime in the next few months, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"I see. And you think that she'd really enjoy such a thing, if she were somehow able to go to one of them, Shingo, for sure?" asked Minako.

"Yes, I do believe that she'd very much enjoy such a thing, if she were actually able to attend such a convention somehow. I mean, why else would she be so interested in any number of such series, including ones that I know Rei likes much more than she does?"

Rei smiled, "That's not a half-bad idea, Shingo. If there's anyone more interested in anime and manga than she is in my own mortal life, I really don't think I know them so far in it, if I ever will. She's a real fanatic about such things, I have to admit, for sure. Yes, I like many anime and manga series as well, but I've never been as into such things as she has been, from what I've learned of her these past two or three years, at least."

"So how do you suggest I might actually be able to make it possible for her to go to a convention of that nature, then, girls?"

"How much would you need to have in order to reserve a spot at one of those conventions for her, perhaps?" asked Mika.

"Probably at least two or three times the amount of money that I currently have in my main savings account, Mika-chan. That money, though, is intended for use to pay for my future college education, you see. And my secondary one has only about enough in it at present to pay about a third of the potential cost of such a convention outing for her, for that matter."

"Why don't you ask your parents to help you with the potential costs of this idea of yours, Shingo?" asked Luna, a few seconds later.

"I don't want them to know what I have in mind for her. If they found out, especially Mother, they might unintentionally let what I'm planning slip somehow to Usagi, which would spoil my plans here, you see. Yes, I know I've often been a brat with her, but still, I really care for her, and this may be the last chance for me to make one of her secret dreams come true well enough in my life before she leaves home permanently."

"Point taken, Shingo. Of course we'll try to help keep your plans for her as secret as possible here," said Artemis, after a few rather brief looks at Mika, Rei, Minako, and Luna here. "Girls, how do you think we could try to help Shingo get the necessary money together for such a secret plan of his, then?"

"I've got some money saved up from a few modeling jobs, believe it or not, Artemis. I secretly did some part-time modeling last year between our conflicts with the Dark Moon Family and the Death Busters, in fact. I did such things in London while I was visiting a few of my friends from England. You couldn't come along then, though, for you and several of the other girls weren't actually able to leave Japan for a long enough time, it seems to me. You had to stay behind and live with Usagi while my family and I were overseas. Ami and her family went to Sapporo for the summer, while Rei and Makoto both went to Kyoto for a while, for their own reasons, as well. Usagi and the rest of you had to stay behind in Tokyo to keep an eye on things there well enough while the rest of us were in various other places all last summer, remember?"

"Yes, I remember, Minako. You think you'd have enough money to cover whatever potential costs for such a convention as Shingo is proposing Usagi for here or not?"

"I can perhaps cover much of the rest of those costs, but we'd still perhaps need at least another ten to fifteen percent more, in terms of money, to sufficiently cover them, I think, Artemis."

"I'll pitch in, if you promise to do whatever you possibly can in order to somehow avoid blabbing about this to her, Minako, on the potential costs of this convention idea from Shingo," said Rei.

"Of course I do. This would be the best surprise birthday present that Shingo will have ever given to Usagi so far in his life, no doubt, Rei."

"Count me in too, for that matter, girls. I really like Usagi too, in fact. She is truly fortunate indeed to have such a caring brother as Shingo, I'm firmly convinced here."

Shingo blushed quite red indeed at that particular comment from his girlfriend, and then said, "Mika, you're embarrassing me!"

"Sorry, darling, just can't help it that my gingerbread man is so doggone sweet here. Come on over and give your cinnamon bear girl a hug, at least, if you don't mind doing so too much here."

"Cinnamon bear girl, and gingerbread man?" giggled Minako. "Aw, that's so deliciously cute!"

"Girls! Please stop it!" begged Shingo, in a very embarrassed manner here, of course.

"You look so adorable blushing like that, Shingo" said Rei, as she suddenly sneaked up behind Shingo and tickled his sides here a little bit.

The girls teased and tickled him playfully for at least a minute or so longer, but not more than two or three minutes, and then released him from their grips or stopped teasing him here like they'd just been doing. When he was finally able to relax well enough after they'd done that to him here, then, he said, "Very well, Mika, I'll at least give you a hug here, if you want me to." He then went over to her, and did so, before suddenly tilting his face down to hers and sneaking a kiss on her lips while Rei, Minako, Artemis, and Luna's attentions were briefly diverted by the sounds of Makoto and Motoko's current bout of practice-dueling.

Shingo hugged and kissed Mika for a few seconds, at least, before releasing her from his grasp and sliding back over to where he'd been sitting for most of the time that he'd been with the three girls in the hot springs. Right after he did so, Mika asked, once Rei and Minako were again paying enough attention to Shingo here, "When do you want to try to arrange this sort of thing for Usagi, then?"

"How about within the next week, at most, girls?"

"I suppose that would be a rather good idea, Shingo," said Minako.

"However, I'm kind of young to officially arrange it at the moment, it seems. You see, I would have to be at least 15, I believe, in order to officially arrange it here, girls."

"Leave it to me, then, Shingo," Rei said, all of a sudden. "I'll take care of the necessary details. I promise you that here, then. Just make sure you have as much money as possible in order to pay for those potential costs as you can, okay? Whatever you can't cover, Minako, Mika, and/or I will cover, if at all possible, of course."

"Agreed. Now I suggest that we'd all best scoot from here very soon indeed, everyone, for I think that I now I hear several others coming this way. And it really wouldn't be a good idea if any of them actually heard what we were just talking about with each other here. Especially if their name is Usagi Tsukino here, of course."

The four young people and both cats then left the hot springs almost immediately afterward for other places then on the Hinata Apartments' grounds, no matter what or where they were on it. Shingo was the first to depart the hot springs, and Mika the last. Mika managed to somehow vacate them quite well enough before Reika and several other girls, including Usagi, eventually arrived there easily enough, in fact.

Shingo then began working on his current birthday-related plan at least a little bit more in his room somewhere in the Annex. But only when he was quite sure that he'd not be disturbed there at all for any reason whatsoever. At least any reason short of supper then being ready or some yet-unknown sort of problem that possibly would require his eventual assistance as Leyua Knight arising on or anywhere near the Apartments' grounds, anyway.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Shingo, Rei, Minako, Mika, Luna, and Artemis were downstairs in or near the hot springs with each other as already stated, Keitaro soon found plenty of things to sketch as he was on the roof with several other people then. He even secretly sketched Usagi and Mamoru holding each other somewhat close to each other on the roof, even as Mamoru lightly brushed a medium red rose gently under her nose, and as she reached up to play with his hair a little bit, with her back to him as she did so then where they now both were. He secretly grinned at the sight when he was quite sure that nobody else was currently looking his way, and then sketched it as quickly and as efficiently as he then could for later enhancement or enhancements when needed and possible.

He also sketched at least a few scenes from Makoto and Motoko's current practice-dueling session on the roof, and even some of them appeared to be from a rather close perspective indeed, although he was always at least ten feet, if not more than that, away from the duelists at any time during their duel here, in fact. His related sketching lines were especially well-thought-out, and he soon smiled quite happily at that, once he actually realized that very fact quite well enough, for that matter.

Other scenes he managed to sketch while on the roof included various scenes with Shinobu dancing near Kitsune and Koushoku as they were singing near her, Koushoku eating some sandwiches with Tama-chan then sitting on her head, and Kitsune joking around with Midori and Gurio to at least some degree, for instance. He even caught a few scenes where Motoko found herself dodging attacks from Makoto near Ryo, Kohaku, Yuuichirou, and/or Shinozaki, for that matter. Motoko even managed to reverse those scenes by making Makoto do the same thing at least once or twice, if not more, by the way.

By the time that he'd finally decided to stop sketching again here for at least a little while, it was nearly time for Shinobu to begin making supper for everyone now on the grounds, and nearly sunset, quite naturally enough. Everyone then on the roof e eventually decided to actually leave it behind again for at least the time being, of course, especially Shinobu, for all the obvious reasons. However, Keitaro was the very last of them to leave it, and he only left it behind again after Shinobu had eventually sent Kaolla up to the roof in order to let him know supper was finally ready for everyone on the grounds well enough.

He had chosen to remain on the roof for at least a few minutes after everyone else had left it behind again so as to be able to contemplate any number of things in private by himself, in fact. Like what might be the potential fates of those he was currently the closest to in his own mortal life, for instance. A life that was quite likely indeed to end much sooner than anyone might then prefer here and now, of course.

When Kaolla eventually joined him on the roof, he had a rather sad look on his face here and now. She didn't like that look on it, of course, and then asked him, after sitting on a deck chair then near him on the roof, "What's the matter, Kei-baby?"

"I don't really want to leave any or all of you girls behind here when I might eventually do so, Su."

"But you're quite afraid that you actually will do just that, aren't you?"

"Yes, very much so, for that matter. This is so NOT fair to all six of you girls! You all are now far too precious to me for any or all of you girls to actually have to somehow deal with this particular sort of thing just like this, I think. All six of you girls are, as far as I'm concerned here and now, in fact, Kaolla."

"As much as I hate to admit it, death comes to everyone in time, it seems, Kei-baby. But hopefully, it won't come for you for at least some considerable length of time, if it can possibly be avoided at all somehow."

"I know. But what if it does? Then how will you girls perhaps be able to reverse all the necessary things, if you possibly can do that somehow yet in the future? What if you can't reverse all the necessary things in time?"

"Then we can't reverse them. But it most certainly won't be from a lack of trying on all our parts, in any case at all. For you're also just too important to us all as well for us all to not try to do any or all of the things that we might possibly be able to do in order to somehow save you well enough now. We're all so NOT going to give up on you, even if you're dead, unless we're somehow ever actually forced to do so, Kei-baby. Unless we have absolutely no other choice, then, we're all actually going to do all that we possibly can in order to reverse and perhaps even cure whatever you might have now, of course. You can be quite sure of that, without any doubt at all."

"Are you sure that you'll all be able to find a suitable enough way to cure me of what I've now got, somehow, by any chance at all, Kaolla?"

"No, not quite yet, but hopefully, we'll eventually find a way to do just that sometime yet in the future, and do so early enough to be able to produce a suitable enough cure for what you now evidently have here, Keitaro."

"It appears rather unlikely indeed to me, Kaolla. At least at the current time, anyway, it does."

"That may be true, but I'm not ultimately expecting us to fail, and neither should you, Keitaro. We're going to save you, and we're also going to save anyone else that may also have been zapped just like you were when you were, if and whenever possible, I'm quite sure. Failure in this is not an option, if it can possibly ever be avoided at all somehow, you see. We will accept nothing less that total victory as necessary here, if we don't actually have to do otherwise, for sure. I don't want you to think that way any longer. You will be saved, if at all possible. And so will anyone else who might have been zapped earlier just like you were then. Never stop fighting for every bit of life that you can get for as long as you're still with us, Keitaro. Even if you're having a bad day at times, don't give up the fight for as long as you can possibly avoid doing so. If you do so, then those who zapped you will have won, I'm quite sure, in at least one way, if not more than one. Don't ever give them the satisfaction of knowing they've actually beaten you somehow, if you can possibly ever avoid doing so at all in any way whatsoever, no matter what."

"But the odds of you finding a suitable enough cure for what I now have seem quite impossible to me at the present time, Kaolla."

"That may be so, but I don't ever want to hear you talk as if you're giving up on life in any way whatsoever again, if I can possibly ever avoid it at all, Keitaro. The other Hinatan girls here will most certainly pick up on that sort of thing, if they actually do notice it somehow, I'm quite sure, and especially Kitsune, if I'm not too mistaken here. And Shinobu, too, for that matter. Do you really want to get Shinobu quite upset here either?"

"No, of course not, Kaolla. Shinobu is the kindest girl I've ever had the good fortune to meet in my own life, as far as I know."

"Then why take the risk of breaking her heart even more than it will most likely be broken already, once you may eventually leave us behind as it now appears that you very well could do in the near future?"

"I don't really want to, Kaolla. But I'm very afraid of what things might be like for you all once I do leave you all behind like it appears I may very well do eventually in the future."

"I realize that, Keitaro, but you must try to stay as emotionally strong as you possibly can around here, if and whenever possible, just the same. Especially for Shinobu's sake, you know. You know she's the one of us who really cares about you the most here, right?"

"True enough, Kaolla. But that doesn't make me feel any happier about what's most likely coming for all of us Hinatans here, if I'm not too mistaken here, just the same."

"Understood. However, you must still try as best as you possibly can try in order to not cause any or all of us unnecessary pain here, just the same, Keitaro."

"I'll do so as best as I possibly can, Kaolla. But I'm still quite scared of the future, at least as it might pertain to all of you, once I'm gone, as I may eventually be, sometime in the near future."

"Forget those particular kinds of thoughts as much as you possibly can here and now. Live in the present as much as you possibly can right now. You can't actually help us all somehow in the future if you're always wearing yourself down in the present with those kinds of thoughts, I think, Keitaro."

"I don't understand, Kaolla."

Kaolla studied him for a bit, and then suddenly said, "Let me see if this might help you try to focus at least a little bit more on the present than on the future, then, Keitaro." She rather unexpectedly leapt from her chair, and then rapidly pressed a few buttons on a remote control that she quickly pulled from a certain pocket on the skirt she was now wearing. A fairly large Mecha-Tama suddenly appeared next to the roof, and she then grabbed Keitaro's free right hand, causing him to drop all of the arts supplies that he'd then been holding in his left hand. Those very same arts supplies landed, no more than a few seconds later, almost directly underneath a shield-type projection near the closest railing to them on the roof that projected towards the rest of the roof to at least some degree, by the way. Kaolla then quickly dragged him to the exact part of the roof nearest that same Mecha-Tama. And when they were both close enough to it, she made them both leap towards it, activating the cockpit's access hatch for it as they each did so here, of course. Just about five or so seconds, at most, after they each leapt from the roof at Kaolla's rather sudden urging, they were both well-secured in that Mecha-Tama's cockpit, and speeding off to goodness-knows-where.

As they were both then doing so, Kaolla suddenly shot a message capsule containing a strangely pre-recorded video and written message for everyone else on the Hinata Apartments' grounds onto the roof she'd leapt off with Keitaro. And the message said, "We'll hopefully return shortly, if enough things go sufficiently according to plan here. I'm taking Keitaro somewhere to have my shot at smooching him just like I know Shinobu and Mutsumi have each already done by now. Expect us both to be back within a few hours, at most, perhaps, if I'm not too mistaken here. We'll all have supper when we return. But I really need to be alone with him right now, you see, just like I said I'm going to be with him. Don't worry, we'll both not misbehave, Motoko and Koushoku, of course. For you two and Kitsune, at least, haven't had your cracks at him just like this either."

Motoko found the message capsule first, and then secretly said to herself, "Please do try to be careful, Kaolla and Keitaro. I have a semi-bad feeling about this sort of thing, for some yet-unknown reason." But she didn't let the others then with her on the roof when she found it know what she was currently thinking here, just the same. At least not right now, anyway, if she ever would.

After she thought this here to herself somewhat briefly indeed, she soon handed the written copy of Kaolla's message to Shinobu, so that she could look at it first after she'd already read it herself, while secretly retaining the video message for her own personal study by hiding it somewhere on her own person. Shinobu briefly read it rather quietly indeed, and then passed it along to the other three Hinatan girls besides Motoko and herself who were then present here, in very short order, of course. Several rather brief moments later, then, Shinobu decided to postpone supper, quite obviously enough until she and Keitaro returned to the Apartments, after quickly seeing no other reasonable course of action here at the current time. She actually wasn't too happy at all about then having to do so here, but she still had promised that all five of the other Hinata girls besides her each would also have at least one decent enough chance, if not more than just one such chance, to eventually kiss Keitaro if they so desired in the very near future. And seeing as both she and Mutsumi had already each had at least one, if not more than one, crack at kissing him so far now here, it was only fair of her to allow Kaolla and the other three applicable Hinata girls a fair enough chance to actually do just that as well, quite naturally enough here. So she didn't get too upset at Kaolla here for suddenly delaying supper like she just had, in fact.

With that the case, then, the other three yet-unkissed Hinatan girls soon wondered who would be the next one to get a chance to make a play on Keitaro, at least in terms of possibly kissing him in the near future. And they also all hoped that both Kaolla and Keitaro wouldn't get themselves into any significant enough trouble while they were both away from the Hinata Apartments like they now were, quite naturally enough. Seeing as everyone's supper was now quite obviously delayed here by Keitaro and Kaolla's current absence, many of them decided to find various things to do in the meantime.

Shinobu, for instance, decided to do some laundry, and she was soon joined in the laundry room by both Haruka and Seta, who'd both decided to drop in rather unexpectedly for supper on the current night. Seta soon asked, "Where is the part-timer, Shinobu-chan, if you don't mind me asking you this too much right now?"

"Off somewhere with Kaolla, it seems. She went somewhere with him on one of her Mecha-Tamas, according to her message. She didn't say where she was going in particular, but she's going to make a play for him, in some way, evidently, Seta. Not too naughty a play, mind you, but still a play for him, just the same."

"Of you girls, then, who's already made a play for him in at least one way, if not more than one, if you don't mind me asking too much, Shinobu?" asked Haruka.

"Both Mutsumi and I have. Other than Kaolla, Mutsumi, and me, the other three primary female residents here still haven't even tried to make their play for him, or even started planning about just how to try to make their play for him, as the case might be for each of us, I think, Haruka. We all are now beginning to wonder here just who might be next in line to try to do that between Motoko, Koushoku, and Kitsune, in fact." Shinobu soon set a few cups of tea on a nearby counter in the laundry room, at Haruka's request, for that matter. And then Haruka and Seta each took a cup and set it on a nearby table to that counter.

"Interesting, Shinobu." Seta sipped a bit of tea in the cup that he'd just poured for himself in the laundry room while he was watching Shinobu handle several baskets of laundry as then necessary here. "Based on what you now know of those three young women, then, if you were a betting person, who would your money be on, in that regard, perhaps, by any chance at all?"

"Normally, I would probably say that it'd most likely be on Kitsune. But it's almost like she's a totally different person since all her alcoholic beverages disappeared from her room like they did, I think. Now I don't really know just who might be next in line for that sort of thing, to be totally honest with you here, Seta."

"I see. So, then, who do you think will be next, given her quite-sudden abandonment of alcohol?" asked Seta, as he watched Shinobu quickly sort several people's clothes quite expertly indeed into any number of clothes baskets then present in the laundry room.

"Your guess is perhaps as good as mine, now, Seta. I really don't have any idea about just which one of the remaining three Hinatan girls will try to make their play for Keitaro next now, in fact." Shinobu then had Haruka begin placing various clothes baskets just outside the laundry room so that others now present on the grounds could attend to them as needed, while supper was still delayed here. It took Shinobu about another ten or so minutes after that to finish working with the necessary laundry that she was now working with here, at most. And then she went right back to the kitchen in order to make quite sure indeed that everything she'd made for supper was still going to be available for consumption once Keitaro and Kaolla finally returned from wherever Kaolla had spirited him off to inside the applicable Mecha-Tama, for that matter.

Several hundred miles away, at least, as Shinobu then returned to the kitchen to check on everything for the now-postponed supper, Kaolla brought her Mecha-Tama down on a generally-uncharted island within sight of the nearest part of Molmol, but not actually within the official territory limits of Molmol, and landed it quite well indeed in a rather well-hidden clearing in the middle of a very thick jungle of some sort. She had absolutely no problems at all with landing her Mecha-Tama here, either. When she opened the hatch, she soon hopped out of her ship, and pulled Keitaro out of it in very short order, so that he'd have to follow right behind her if he didn't want to possibly be lost forever in that very same jungle here, quite naturally enough.

Keitaro soon asked, "Why are we here, Kaolla?"

"This particular island here is one of my super-secret hideaways in various places all over the world, in fact, Kei-baby. I can often hide out here when people are looking for me in my life either from Japan or from Molmol, for instance. I have even worked on a number of my various work projects here, for your information. I found this particular island not too long before I first came to the Apartments, believe it or not. We are here for two main reasons, if not just for two reasons, right here and right now. One reason we're here now is so that I can then collect at least a decent number, if not a lot, of things from this particular hideaway of mine which I might hopefully be able to use later on somehow, when necessary. And the other reason is that I want to make a romantic play of sorts for you just like I know that both Shinobu and Mutsumi have already done with you back at the Hinata Apartments, at least in terms of us each having a chance to at least try and kiss you once, if not more than once, before our imminent round-the-world trip, you see."

"I see. Well, I suppose it wouldn't be fair of me to disappoint you by not letting you actually try to make a play for me, seeing as Shinobu and Mutsumi already did, in terms of kissing me, at least, would it? Of course you can, Kaolla. But I really am not in a very good mood at present, just the same." Kaolla nodded at that, and soon brought him to a well-hidden cavern in that jungle of sort. This particular cavern was built into the side of a hill on the island, and it was particularly well-hidden by any number of shielding plants and assorted other items that looked quite a bit like, if not entirely like, assorted terrain characteristics or vegetation, for that matter.

When they finally got to that cavern, then, she soon hustled them both inside it, and handed him a torch on an interior wall near the main entrance/exit to it, just before pulling a big boulder with a long rope around it back in front of that very same main entrance/exit for the cavern. That done, she then led them deep within the cavern for several minutes, at most, before coming to a very specific nook in the cavern that looked almost like her room back at the Hinata Apartments. Several tools of assorted kinds were on a worktable, on several shelves, and on a few benches in that nook. Many of which didn't seem to be fairly usable to Keitaro as he took in the current appearance of the nook she'd just brought him to, in fact. Kaolla went around the nook collecting any number of the now-present tools, and stashing them in a decently-sized tool box, before she began collecting any number of other things in several other containers as she then saw fit to here. Once she'd felt that she'd collected enough of the things then present in that nook of the cavern quite well enough here, she soon put them on a cart of some sort, for later loading into her Mecha-Tama as necessary.

After loading the cart as needed with all those things, then, she activated its automatic transport program so that it would take all those things to her waiting Mecha-Tama some distance away from where the cavern now was. She also made sure that it would do so secretly enough by sending it through a number of nearby tunnels that would bring it quite near where she'd landed the Mecha-Tama then in question. Once its onboard sensors had sufficiently confirmed well enough that it was safe enough for the cart to exit those very same tunnels and bring the necessary items to the Mecha-Tama's storage bay, it would do just that, and deposit those items inside the Mecha-Tama as necessary before returning to where it'd been sent there from by her automatically. It'd eventually return to the required location just as it'd earlier left it, short one cargo, of course, unless she'd given it other orders just before sending it away temporarily from the cavern, for that matter.

Once the cart was on its way to where she'd earlier parked the Mecha-Tama, she then asked, "Keitaro, do you want something to drink, by any chance? I have some fruit juices you can choose from, if you wish. Orange juice, apple juice, or grape juice, in fact. Which would you prefer?"

"I suppose I'll take grape juice here, then, Kaolla."

Kaolla soon poured a tall glass of grape juice for him from a pitcher in a refrigerator of some sort here, and also handed him a piece of pottery from a nearby bench as she set that grape juice on a table he'd taken a seat at with her urging here. She asked, "What do you make of this particular large pot here, Keitaro? I found it the last time I was on this island, a while ago, and it seems strangely familiar, for some reason. I can't exactly place it at the moment, though, and I was wondering if you possibly could do that well enough, somehow. You want to take a shot at trying to recognize at least the style and design of this particular pot here, by any chance?"

The pot was about two feet wide at its greatest extent, about three feet tall, and had two good-sized half-metallic, half-fired red clay handles reinforced with woven wood and grass lathes of some sort on them both. The thickness of the pot's side, top, and bottom walls ranged from a maximum thickness of about eight inches near the bottom to about two inches near the top. The hole currently visible at the top of the pot was about six inches in average diameter, more or less, as well. Sitting on a bench near where she'd gotten the pot in question from, there was a suitably-sized lid made of the exact material the pot had been made from, of course, by the way.

The pot in question had a yet-unfamiliar design to both of them here, and Keitaro soon began examining the pot, making several observations about it as he then did so here, and even with the help of at least a few, if not several, tools that she periodically handed him at his request here. It was, from what he soon could somehow actually tell well enough, a very old pot indeed, with assorted stylized animals and assorted other stylized designs on it that seemed to resemble various astronomy-type things, at the very least, if nothing else as well, in terms of the particular stylized designs apparently then on it here. Astronomy-type things like various stars, planets, moons, and/or comets, for example. Specifically, it seemed to be a pot that was at least a millennium old, if not even older than that. And he soon said so to her. He also said that it seemed rather strangely to be at least a bit non-Terran, if not totally non-Terran. AT least in its apparent style and in its apparent creation, if not also in the decoration or decorations then visible on its exterior areas, for that matter.

"So where do you think it comes from, and when, then, Keitaro?" asked Kaolla, as she also handed him a few sheets of paper and some things to write and/or draw with here, after he requested those things from her here.

"Judging from the size, weight, and look of it, it appears to be from no later than the early 11th Century AD, as we might normally reckon time here in our own world, in some planet's timeline, whether or not it's actually from this particular planet's timeline anywhere at all in the currently-known Universe, Kaolla. I would say this pot was perhaps used to hold any number of assorted objects of yet-unknown kinds. I also have noticed that there are at least a few spots that seem to be either at least a little bit pocked or at least a little bit worn away for some yet-unknown reason or reasons inside this particular pot here, by the way. I suspect rather strongly indeed that it's very likely that it was used to hold any number of precious stones or any number of other valuable items that its owners might have wanted to keep within it as safely and as securely as possible, for that matter."

Kaolla considered that for a while, and then asked, "Do you think Seta would possibly be able to date it more accurately than you seem to have now? What do you think he'd think of a pot like this? And how valuable do you think it might be, as well?"

"I don't know if he'd be able to date it more accurately than I just did. He might think it rather interesting indeed, but he might not be as interested in it as he is now about things relating to his current archeological dig, I think, Kaolla. As for the value of it, I'd say, based on the nature of it, it could perhaps be quite valuable indeed, for some yet-unknown reason, though I can't really explain why that seems to be the case for it right now, somehow. Did you, by any chance happen to see any other potentially interesting items near it when you found this pot back then?"

"No, I don't believe so. Why do you ask?" asked Kaolla, as Keitaro continued to examine the pot and take notes and draw sketches of it as he then saw fit here.

"This seems to be one item in a collection of items, including several other pots just like this one, if I'm somehow interpreting the symbols of some sort I'm seeing on this pot now well enough."

"I see. Why don't I take you where I found it, then, if that's all right with you?"

"I suppose that would be just fine here, Kaolla. Just let me pick up these sketches at least, and stick them in my pockets, perhaps. The pot should be just fine if we leave it alone for a while, right?"

"It should be, I believe. Well, then, let's go, Keitaro. Grab your sketches and writing/drawing utensils, and I'll bring you where I found it. Oh, and it might be a good idea to bring along a shovel, a pick, and/or the ring of keys on the wall nearest you now, for that matter, I think." Keitaro then grabbed the necessary items, once Kaolla indicated the specific items she'd just referred to here well enough. Both soon left the cavern behind temporarily, and took to the trees for a little while, at her urging. Ten minutes after that, then, she pulled him down into an area about ten feet in diameter, and told him to start digging near a stone turtle marker of some sort. It took him another ten minutes to dig a hole eight feet deep, and reveal a chest about seven feet long, four feet wide, and five feet deep. Inside this chest made of rather lightweight, yet rather sturdy and rather secure, materials, there were many items, as Keitaro soon found out when he used the ring of keys that Kaolla had told him to grab from the required wall earlier, in fact. Some of them, by the way, were just about as large as the pot that she'd handed him earlier, but most of them were much smaller than that. In that they were generally the size of coins or of precious stones, for example, more often than not. He examined several of the things at some length, as he also carefully tested the fully-loaded chest to see if he'd actually be able to carry it all by himself, if needed, back to the necessary cavern here, of course. It was well within his current physical capabilities, in terms of being able to lift it somehow, yet Kaolla decided to help him out at least a little bit here, by suddenly pressing a button on another remote control from her pocket here. Two minutes later, then, four medium-sized robots with hovering capability came to where they now were, and picked up the well-loaded chest in question as needed here. That done, Kaolla then helped Keitaro refill the hole that he'd just dug to find and reveal the chest in question here. But not before placing a few small devices inside it that she'd brought with them to that place, for that matter, for yet-unknown reasons here to Keitaro, at least, in any case whatsoever. Keitaro and Kaolla, along with the aforementioned robots, arrived back in the necessary cavern no more than perhaps ten or so minutes after they'd left the area where Keitaro had just dug the hole in, quite naturally enough.

The robots soon set the chest next to the table on which the pot that Kaolla had earlier handed to Keitaro still rested completely undisturbed since she'd left with him for the place where she'd found it in the first place. Then they each returned to their alcoves from where she'd earlier summoned them with the applicable remote, once she gave them all permission to do just that here and now, in fact. Once she and Keitaro were then alone once again in the nook they were in here with each other, Kaolla soon had Keitaro close his eyes briefly. He didn't yet know why, of course, but he still complied with her request here, just the same. She soon jumped up on one particular wall for the nook in question here with previously-well-disguised railings of a sort, and climbed them until she reached the nook's roof well enough. That done, she then made her way across the roof by using looped handholds that were now somehow present in various places on it until she was directly above him on it quite well enough. When she was where she then wanted to be above him, she soon took out a long cord with four hooks, and wrapped it around her waist as needed and/or desired here, just before clipping each of those four hooks on loops near enough to her on the roof as appropriate enough for her to do just that here. Then she pressed a certain button also near her on that roof, and it began to lower her gradually down to where he now sat where she'd told him to sit for a while. It took about a minute or two of silent descent, at most, for her to get close enough to him to allow her to brush her hands lightly across the top of his head, at least. A few seconds after that, at most, she then was close enough to him to allow her to hold his head steady well enough. She then brushed her fingers lightly across his face, and then carefully set his glasses on the table nearest them both here. That done, she then placed her hands gently on his cheeks and brought her lips to them all of a sudden. Upside-down, no less, for that matter. A few brief pecks on his cheeks later, she then let him open his eyes and look at her here well enough.

When he did so, gradually opening them here at her request, for the obvious reasons, she smiled one of her very happy smiles at him. Keitaro soon asked, "Why did you kiss my cheeks upside-down, Kaolla, instead of right-side up, as many people might often do?"

"I figured that none of the other girls would have kissed you or eventually will kiss you quite like that, so I really wanted to do something to hopefully make it much easier for you to better remember me kissing you later on, if at all possible, Keitaro. I hope you're not upset with how I went about doing it, of course."

"No, of course not, Kaolla. I think, quite strangely enough, that the way that you just kissed me here was quite fascinating, to put it very mildly, if I'm not too mistaken here. I don't think I'll forget them for a very long time, if ever, in fact, just so you know this here quite well enough."

"That's good, then, Kei-baby. Are you feeling much better now, perhaps, then?"

"I'm feeling at least a little bit better, I suppose. Not totally better, mind you, but at least a little, just the same, Kaolla. This trip of ours, though, was rather unexpected, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes, I suppose so, Keitaro. But something had to be done to get your mind off your current problems for a while, I believe. I just took the chance that I might just be the one to do it well enough for at least a little while, if not a long while, that's all. Seriously, though, you can't give up on life like you seemed to want to back at the Apartments before I whisked you away like I did a while ago here."

"This situation is SO frustrating, though, Kaolla!"

"And you don't actually think we're all possibly thinking that sort of thing too, periodically? If you don't, then you may not know us quite as well as you think you do, and vice versa. We are NOT going to give up on you and/or anyone else who might have actually been zapped just like you were, if we can possibly ever avoid doing so, Keitaro Urashima. You're now most definitely part of our family of sorts now. And there's absolutely no way in any of the three eyes of Molmol that we're all just going to let those who are responsible for what you now most definitely have in your life ever get away with what they've done quite easily enough without any or all of us first doing whatever we possibly can each do in order to actually stop them quite well enough somehow. Whether that's through somehow avenging you and anyone else who they actually left with the exact same situation as they then left you with earlier, through somehow saving you and anyone else who was actually affected directly by the exact same thing or things that you're now affected by directly, or through somehow preventing them from actually zapping you and perhaps anyone else just like they all did earlier, for sure. And we're all SO not going to just let them get away quite well enough with just what they did to you and to any other people they zapped like they did, if we can all possibly ever avoid doing just that somehow, for sure."

"Promise, Kaolla?"

"Yes, I promise you that, as best as I possibly can do just that here and now. And so would all the other Hinatans, I'm quite sure, if they were all actually here with us now as well, Keitaro. So don't quit fighting for every moment of life that you can possibly get well enough, somehow. We need you to fight against your current condition to the best of your ability to do just that for as long as you can. As long as you do so, that will unquestionably help us to stay focused on the necessary things here, I'm reasonably certain, for at least as long as you possibly can do just that in your own life. We may indeed lose you for a time, but not permanently, if things eventually work out well enough in our favor before it's somehow too late to save you easily enough. Show us all the courage that I know we've all seen from you at least a few times before, and we might just be able to find a way to save you and/or anyone else who they might have zapped earlier just like they did, somehow."

"I'll see what I can do in that sort of thing, Kaolla. I can't promise you any more than that, though, at the current time, I think."

"Fair enough, I suppose, then. Seeing as I'm apparently not likely to get a better promise from you than that here and now, at least, I suppose it's a fair enough promise from you, Keitaro. Now I suppose we'd best get back to the Hinata Apartments just as soon as we possibly can, then."

Keitaro and Kaolla soon returned to the necessary Mecha-Tama's cockpit, strapped themselves into its seats as needed, and began returning to the Hinata Apartments' grounds just as quickly as they'd left them as they both had some time before. The Mecha-Tama landed next to the girls-only dorm no more than perhaps an hour or so after they left the island that they'd been alone with each other on, in terms of actual sentient enough organic beings. Seconds after it landed next to it, Kaolla and Keitaro soon exited it as necessary here. No more than another ten minutes or so later, then, everything that Kaolla and Keitaro had brought back from that island was quite securely indeed stashed as appropriate in Kaolla's own room, for that matter. Once it was, Keitaro soon exited Kaolla's room so that she could actually change into some clothes more appropriate for supper, and so that he could do the same thing, by the way. On the way to his own room, Shinobu caught up with him and asked him how he was feeling then.

Keitaro said, "A bit better than I was before Kaolla whisked me away from here all of a sudden like she did. But not as well as I would normally like to be, I think, Shinobu."

"Where did she take you, if you don't mind me asking too much here and now?"

"A rather secret hideaway of hers near Molmol, evidently. She didn't tell me its name, though, Shinobu. Yes, she did have a chance to smooch me, and I can't tell you just how she did so, for the obvious reasons, of course."

"Of course you can't, my beloved. She has a right to her own secrets from time to time, you know. However, did you generally enjoy yourself when you were with her then?"

"To some degree, of course I did. But I still wish that you could have been where I was with her, just the same, when I was just there with her."

"I understand. Perhaps, someday, she'll bring us all there at the same time, somehow?"

"I suppose it might be possible, but you'd obviously have to ask her, quite naturally enough, of course, Shinobu. Now I think I'd best change for supper, if you don't mind too much here?" asked Keitaro, as they both arrived right outside his own door here.

"Sure, my beloved. Go ahead and change, if you feel you must do that here, then. Just try not to delay too long in doing so here and now. For I really don't know just how much longer several of the others can actually somehow keep at least Usagi, if not anyone else at all, from actually getting into the kitchen quite well enough here before we all have our suppers with each other, you see."

"Understood," said Keitaro, as he then quickly ducked into his room, as just suggested here by her. Shinobu smiled briefly, and then set off again for the kitchen area just as quickly as she then could here, of course.

Keitaro appeared in the main dining area no more than five or so minutes later, and just ahead of Kaolla, who'd changed into a pullover-type blouse, a pair of dark blue jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes with nearly-matching socks, in fact. A pen was resting over one of Kaolla's ears, and a somewhat thick pad of paper was now in Kaolla's left hand as she appeared at one of the doorways leading to the main dining area for the Apartments here, for that matter. As she then began making her way to the necessary table in the main dining area, she also periodically glanced at a good-sized number of the things then present on the currently-visible sheet from that pad of paper, as if to continue thinking of them for at least a little while longer at considerable enough length here and now.

She soon took a seat where then needed in the main dining area, and received her supper from Shinobu here, in very short order. Kaolla was much quieter than she normally was during supper, and the others then present soon asked her what she was actually thinking about right here and right now. Kaolla eventually said, after much silent contemplation here, "I'm currently considering several dozen ideas that might possibly help us all out here against our future enemy or enemies, among any number of other things, to at least some degree for each of those ideas, if not to great degrees for each of them, everyone. However, I'm not quite sure just yet if they'd actually be quite worth trying here some yet-unknown length of time later on for us all, somehow, if I ever will be. I may actually need at least one or two other people's actual thoughts about them, to be totally honest here."

"I suppose we could ask Pluto if she would be interested in sharing her thoughts about them, in time, then," said Ami, a few moments later, as she also was bringing a spoonful of vegetable beef soup to her mouth here.

"I don't know if she'd really be all that interested in doing so here, Ami," said Usagi. "You and I, along with many, if not all, of the rest of us Juubanites, know quite well indeed how she quite often is about any number of things that might potentially affect the future quite considerably, as these ideas of Kaolla's somehow seem to now have that quite distinct potential here to me, at least. Now I don't exactly know what those ideas of Kaolla's might be, but for some yet-unknown reason or reasons here and now, I somehow strongly suspect that they very well could do just that here well enough. Granted, they may somehow very well change certain things in the future for the better, but there is also a very good chance that they may somehow very well do just the opposite, you know."

Shinobu soon said, "What if Keitaro is meant to be around in the future as you've thought it might eventually be, Usagi, somehow?"

"Then we'll find a way to see that he is, if we possibly can do just that somehow, of course, Shinobu. We all know that you really love him a whole lot by now. We just don't know if the future that we're generally expecting to somehow see someday is one that actually requires his presence in it or not. It could very well indeed be the case, in truth, that our expected future actually requires his absence from it, just as easily as it might require his actual presence in it instead. Pluto is often quite close-mouthed about any number of potential futures for us all, in fact, Shinobu. It's almost like you practically have to order her sometimes to sufficiently enough reveal certain potentially-important things about the future that might be quite crucial indeed for certain people like us to know. It's often been that way since she first took up her post as the defender of the Time Gate, for your information. I suppose that you can blame my Moon mother for that here to at least some degree, if not entirely, by the way."

"I don't understand, Usagi," said Shinobu.

"As the defender of the Time Gate, my Moon mother Queen Serenity gave her three main directives whenever she was on duty at or sufficiently near the Time Gates, subject to the authority of those then ruling legally in the Moon Kingdom's official ruling line of monarchs at any time whatsoever, Shinobu. One directive was not to voluntarily leave her post unattended needlessly for any reason whatsoever at any time while she was still serving as Sailor Pluto in her Senshi career, I think. Another was to not voluntarily permit time to be crossed needlessly by anyone. And the third, and most important, directive, if I'm not too mistaken here, was not to voluntarily stop time at all. If she did the last of those, there would be a certain price she would have to pay, it seems to me."

"And that certain price would be?" asked Mutsumi.

"If she wasn't actually ordered to do so by the then-official rulers of the Moon Kingdom or of any sufficient enough potential successor governments to it, that certain price would then require her death at least temporarily, if not permanently, if memory serves me well enough here, in at least one timeline, if not more than one. She can periodically alter time as needed and/or desired, whether by actually moving it or by actually doing any number of other things related to it well enough, but she can't actually stop it without prior orders from the necessary people of that particular nature, Mutsumi."

"Who can now give her such orders, then?" asked Koushoku.

"At the current time, Koushoku, only those with sufficient enough blood or sufficient enough legal ties to the Moon Kingdom's ruling family from the time of the Silver Millennium can, it seems."

"And of those very same people, who do you know who can do that well enough now, in many, if not all, cases, then, Usagi?" asked Kitsune.

"Queen Serenity can, as can I, at least. Mamoru can't yet do so, for he's not actually married to me just yet in this time period. He also had no legal authority to order her to do any of those things during the Silver Millennium, for when the Moon Kingdom fell, we were not yet married to each other. Meaning Endymion and myself, that is, back then. We were engaged, at least, but not yet married. We would have married not too much later, in fact, but the Dark Kingdom ruined our plans before we could marry each other as we were really hoping to do back then, Konno-san," said Usagi.

"How can your mother now order Sailor Pluto to do those things, seeing as it's been about a thousand years since your civilization fell so long ago, then, Usagi," asked Haruka.

"We have a saying on the Moon, or at least we did while the Moon Kingdom was still around, and that saying is this, 'Once a legitimate ruler of the Moon Kingdom, always a legitimate ruler of the Moon Kingdom, unless somehow proven otherwise,'Haruka-san. As such, any currently-reigning ruler from our civilization's history can normally order the currently-serving Sailor Pluto of their respective times in the Universe's known history to do certain things as such, unless otherwise sufficiently enough contravened by any or all prior-existing conditions against such potential orders of theirs. Conditions such as a yet-unfulfilled prophecy, for instance."

"But the Moon Kingdom no longer exists, I believe you told all of us at least once sometime earlier, Usagi," said Keitaro.

"That is true enough, technically speaking. However, we still carry the heritages and the bloodlines of our respective worlds in our lives, somehow. Just because that's the case here, then, I now am effectively the heiress to the throne of the Moon Kingdom, so to speak, although my home world is not currently habitable to life such as you might normally think of it in your lives. Let me see if I can put it in a way that you might all better understand here, if at all possible, okay?"

"Go ahead, then, Usagi," said Shinobu.

"Let's use Sylvia's home country for an example here, if we may. Supposing she doesn't mind too much here, of course."

"Of course I don't, Usagi," said Sylvia. "Go right ahead, if you so desire."

"Thank you, Sylvia. Now, as I was saying here, according to the Bible that Jews and Christians evidently now consider to be their Holy Scriptures, there was once an ancient nation actually called Israel in the Middle East, before it was eventually conquered and/or destroyed by any number of other civilizations multiple times over a certain length of time in our world's known history. Judaism somehow survived, even though the nation in question effectively ceased to exist as an actual nation on our world's surface. From what little that I currently know of Judaism, and of the Jewish people, at least, their rather unique culture still somehow survived against all human-conceivable odds in rather hostile situations throughout the long centuries away from their Promised Land of Israel. No matter where the members of their particular culture ever went in our world, in any known timeline whatsoever, their culture still survived somehow to continue existing well enough. Their mother language may have been, for all obvious intents and purposes, quite dead, if not entirely dead, throughout the long centuries that they spent away from their homeland. But their rather distinct culture still somehow actually managed to survive well enough into the future as time still continued to pass ever onward for its many members throughout the Universe's known history, everyone." Usagi took a brief sip of some tea then in front of her before continuing. "Eventually, as all you Hinatans probably know quite well indeed by now, two major global wars were fought all over the world. Many who were actually members of that particular culture of theirs were eventually killed in the Holocaust led by a certain group of nations bent on a mission of global conquest. After they were saved from total annihilation by many people from those various nations, they eventually were granted the ability to settle themselves in the Middle East, and specifically back in their long-desolate homeland. The nation they refounded, after so many years away from their homeland, they named Israel, in fact. According to the Bible, once their people were able to return to their homeland, they'd never be permanently forced out of it again by anyone else in the whole world whatsoever. To date, at least, they never have been permanently forced out of it somehow by anyone else at all in the entire world. If their Bible proves to be completely accurate, according to Sylvia and Rolando, they never will be again, either."

"So that's what happens to their culture in the future? I haven't actually encountered many Christians and Jews before, it seems, Usagi," said Sango, as she sipped some grape juice near her plate on the table.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it has happened as I've already stated by now in this time period that their ancient nation of Israel was reborn and refounded. Their nation doesn't currently exist in your home time period, Sango, but in our current time period, it has long been around in actual existence,"

"How do you actually know of those things as well as you apparently do now, then, Usagi?" asked Kagome.

"I know of them as well as I currently do because of any number of prior conversations I've had in the past with Sylvia and/or Rolando, Kagome. Not quite as well as I probably should know of them, perhaps, but I still know of them, just the same. And there seem to be a lot of parallels between the way things have come nearly full-circle with the Jewish people and Israel to our people's story. Someday, I predict, God willing, that our lost civilization will be reborn almost like the Jewish people's ancient nation of Israel was reborn a little more than 45 years ago in our time period. If not entirely like it. Pluto says there is a distinct possibility that there will be a reborn Moon Kingdom present in our solar system, but Sylvia and Rolando don't think that if there actually is one, it will be quite like many of us might generally expect it to be. They think that if there is a Moon Kingdom ever reborn on the Moon, it may very well be subject to Jesus Christ of Nazareth in Israel. Now I don't really know for sure if that's going to be true, mind you all, but if it is, so be it."

"Are you thinking of becoming a Christian or a Jew, then, Usagi?" asked Rei, as she took a bite of some lasagna on the plate then in front of her here.

"No, I'm not, Rei. At least not yet, anyway. Although, if what they seem to think is accurate enough, I may eventually have no other choice but to become either of those things, if I ever want to make it to Heaven somehow. And they seem to think that everyone will eventually have to each make an eternal choice on whether or not to accept Jesus Christ of Nazareth as their own particular life's Lord and Saviour. Supposing that they've not already made such a choice yet in their own respective mortal lives, of course. While that may indeed eventually be so, I'm not quite sure just yet if I really am ready to make that particular eternal choice in my life. They say that I could eventually lose the chance to choose Christ if I wait too long to do so, but they still aren't actually trying to force me to become either a Christian or Jew now in my life. Many others might perhaps try to convince me to choose Christ by force, they say, but they're not going to do that for any of us, no matter who we are. They say an eternal choice like this particular one can only be made honest and true by a person's entirely voluntary choice one way or another, and not by force. Otherwise it's most certainly not really a true choice on anyone's part, no matter who they may just be in their own respective mortal lives, but a choice made out of fear, as if they had no other real choice in the matter before they eventually had to make it in them, somehow."

"What if they're wrong about Jesus Christ being the only way to Heaven as many Christians seem to think that He is, then, Usagi?" asked Keitaro.

"Then, according to Rolando and Sylvia, those who have followed, are now following, and who will follow, Jesus Christ, have been, are, or will be eternally dead in their sins, once their mortal lives are done. In essence, they say that if Jesus Christ is not truly the only real way to Heaven as millions, if not billions, of people in the world's history have long claimed that He is, then there is absolutely no hope for anyone at all in this very world of ours, at least, in any potential timeline for the Universe's currently known history or histories, Keitaro. Not only that, but that Christianity, if not also Judaism, will be the biggest hoax or hoaxes ever perpetuated in our world's countless past, present, and/or future histories in any number of timelines, et cetera, it now seems to them and to many others of their own particular belief system."

"What's the flip-side of that proverbial coin, then, Usagi?" asked Ami, as she finished the soup that was in the bowl directly in front of herself at the current time.

"The flip-side of that proverbial coin, as you just put it, Ami, is that they're right. In which case, much, if not most or all, that most of us have known for much, if not most or all, of our respective lives, in terms of the belief systems we each have followed to date in them, is wrong, it now seems to me here, everyone. Now I'm not entirely sure about just what is true here, mind you all, but I still aim to eventually find out fully enough, if at all possible, somehow. I just hope it doesn't actually take too long for me to do so quite well enough, one way or another. And if they're both sufficiently right about us each having to make an eternal choice to follow Christ or not in our own respective mortal lives, then each of us will actually have to just try to find out for ourselves, somehow, whether what they're now saying is actually the honest-to-goodness truth or whether it's actually a huge pack of lies, so to speak. We can't exactly make such an important choice for others, they say, but we can each still make such an important choice for ourselves, according to them. However, they also say that if we don't actually decide in time, one way or another, the question of where each of us eventually will spend the rest of eternity yet-to-come will then be settled one way or another, whether that question's settling leads us each to Heaven or not, and whether we actually might want to eternally go wherever we're eventually each going to go, once all is said and done quite well enough in this Universe of ours."

"Are you meaning that any number of people are perhaps destined for the Lake of Fire and Brimstone that my teachers have periodically mentioned to me, maybe, Usagi? The Sisters at my school seem to think such a possibility might actually be the case for many people in this world of ours, whether they're in the past, present, and/or future of it, in fact," said Rei, as everyone was then finishing up each of their respective suppers here as needed and/or desired for them all now.

"I'm not quite sure. I've heard of the idea of Purgatory and of the idea that there might actually happen to somehow be such a place as a Lake of Fire and Brimstone. But I'm still not quite sure of just what to believe about what might eventually happen to each of us once our respective mortal lives are each sufficiently done in this Universe of ours, you see, Rei." Usagi and several others began to help Shinobu and Keitaro handle all the necessary items left to attend to after supper here. While any number of others here soon decided to either return to their respective rooms or find any number other things to do elsewhere on the grounds for the Hinata Apartments here, once they were each quite sufficiently released from the main dining area well enough to do as they then saw fit to do here and now, of course.

"I see, Usagi. Well, if there actually is such a place, somewhere, the Sisters often say that once people go there, they'll never be able to escape it somehow, if memory serves me quite well enough here," said Rei, as she carried some glasses to the main kitchen area in the girls-only dorm here.

"There IS such a place, everyone," said Rolando. "And all those who do not go to Heaven will eventually end up there, if our Bible is sufficiently accurate in its nature, unfortunately. It, however, was never intended as a final destination for any sentient being whatsoever other than Satan and all his fallen angels. Which many sentient beings would most likely happen to call demons, if I'm not too mistaken here. Yet, there are going to be countless sentient beings of any possible kind who will find themselves there, somehow. Whether they're human beings or not, they still will, just the same, for sure." Rolando brought a few food and drink items into the kitchen as he was saying that here, by the way.

"For how long, then, if that's true, Rolando?" asked Koushoku, as she soon took those same items from him and stored them away wherever needed in the kitchen.

"At least for a little while until they each are finally burnt down completely to mere ashes, or for all eternity yet-to-come, for sure. Now I'm not quite certain which, if either, of those two things will somehow actually be true some length of time yet in the future for everyone who's been in, is now in, or will be in this Universe of ours. But I'm still reasonably certain that one of those two things will eventually be true somehow, Koushoku. And so is Sylvia, though she's not quite certain herself about either of those things, for that matter," answered Rolando.

After Rolando said that, Sylvia changed the subject as gracefully as she then could here, and changed it to a subject related to children that each of them hoped to have in the future, if at all possible. Keitaro said, "Supposedly, I am going to have to somehow father a lot of children somehow by multiple people, at least in the normal way, if not also in artificial ways as well, Sylvia. I really don't like the idea of having to actually father those children with more than one female, somehow. But it now seems to many of us Hinatans, at least, that I will indeed have to do just that if there is to be a cure for what I now have, and what any number of other people might now actually have as well without their current knowledge or consent."

Sylvia considered this sort of thing for at least a little bit, and then asked, "What do you Hinatan girls think about that possibility here, then, Shinobu?"

"We really don't like it. Mainly because I know each of us actually wants Keitaro to ourselves, and not to anyone else at all here, most especially me. Yet, it's most certainly not going to be possible for any of us to actually be able to bear all the necessary future children of his that he'll need to father all by ourselves in the amount of time we have left to hopefully find, create, and administer a cure for what he now has. You see, he needs to father, either through the usual method or through an artificial method, at least thirty children, if not more, so that a cure might possibly be found for what he now has, Sylvia. If he does not have at least thirty children who somehow survive long enough into the future to be part of a team of doctors trying to come up with a suitable enough cure for what he, and others may, now actually have, we all will most certainly never be able to save him somehow, before it's too late to do just that somehow quite well enough."

"I see. And such an idea is quite unacceptable to you all, I take it, Shinobu?"

"Yes. Although we might not like the idea of having to share him with each other, at least, if not others as well, we still realize the need for us all to eventually do just that here, at least every so often, in the future. Personally, though, the idea of losing him permanently, without actually being able to somehow save him, is much less tolerable than the idea of us having to share him with each other, at least, if not anyone else as well, for sure, Sylvia," answered Shinobu.

"So you're actually going to all accept the idea of each of you having to share him with anyone else here, Shinobu?" asked Rolando.

"Either that, or we would have to accept the idea that he's going to die from what he now has without trying to do anything at all to help or to save him, I think, Rolando. And that is not an idea any of us are willing to accept here if we don't absolutely have to at all, somehow, for sure. For all he's ever done for us, we see no other alternative at present but to do what we possibly can in order to help or save him somehow. Even if that means we have to share him in at least one certain way with each other, at least, if not others as well. Yes, I know that polygamy is quite often frowned on in normal modern-day society, but there is no other way that we can all possibly see at present that might allow us to eventually save him somehow as needed. Or anyone else who was actually attacked just like he was last September, for that matter."

"So what you're saying is this, I take it. Even if you have to each share him, let's say, with a minimum of five to ten other females, you each would rather do so than for you each to actually require that he choose only one person to be with for the rest of his life, Shinobu?"

"Yes, we each would do so, if necessary. Some of us more than others, for sure, for the simple reason that we really care very much for him in our lives, Rolando. Senpai is the sweetest, kindest, and most loyal man that I have ever known in my life, and he would gladly lay down his life for any of us, I'm quite sure, if necessary. Many of us, though not all of us, have not exactly treated him fairly enough at all times, of course. But we all still really care for him in our lives, and we can't imagine the thought of ever losing him permanently in our own mortal lives. We may not necessarily know just how to show our feelings for him well enough in our lives, at certain times, but we all still have come to really care for him in them. And, as that is now the case for all of us Hinata girls, we'd all quite gladly do whatever we each possibly can do in order to help him and to eventually save him somehow, no matter what. Even if that means we have to actually share him periodically with each other or any number of other young girls or young women close enough in age to him. At least occasionally, if not all the time, for whatever time he might still have left here currently in his own mortal life."

"Are you quite well aware that by doing so, certain things could very well get quite complicated for you all in the future, then, Shinobu? Things like who would be in charge of certain things, for instance, in terms of your proposed future children?" asked Sylvia.

"Yes, we're already quite aware of it. But we'll each handle those kinds of things as needed, when needed, to the best of our respective abilities, in the future, Sylvia. True, many things may very well be quite complicated indeed with so many potential children running around here, but we still are reasonably certain that we'll be able to handle them as needed, if and whenever they might actually come up for us in the future. Whether or not Keitaro is still with us all whenever they do, mind you."

Eventually, everything was put away as needed in the main kitchen area here, and Shinobu and others soon decided to head elsewhere in the girls-only dormitory or elsewhere on the grounds for the Apartments, for it was now quite rapidly approaching 1:10 in the morning of June 19, 1993, in fact. The males then present, except for Keitaro, of course, soon left for their respective rooms in the Annex, while Shinobu and everyone else who was then still sufficiently awake here began heading to their own respective rooms in it, quite naturally enough. Koushoku was the last of the people who'd helped attend to things in the kitchen to part from Keitaro for the rest of the night, by the way. And she said, as she did so, "I'm not quite ready to make a play for you here, but I think I will be soon enough, if at all possible, Keitaro. Whether it's before Motoko and/or Kitsune try to do so, I'm not yet sure. But I suppose we'll all find out soon enough, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"That's fine, Koushoku. Take your time, if you feel you need to, in that sort of thing. There's no real hurry needed here, is there?"

"No, it doesn't appear so at the present time, Keitaro."

"Then let's let things happen as they may, as much as we can, for as long as we can, until you feel you're ready to try to make a play for me like Shinobu, Mutsumi, and Kaolla have each already done, Koushoku. Yes, I know you're quite scared that I'm going to be gone before you might actually have the chance to have the life with me that most of us expected both of us to have with each other. But I don't intend to die just yet, if I can possibly ever avoid doing so at all somehow, you see. For I really care for you all, and I don't want to ever have to leave any or all of you girls behind needlessly too soon, if I don't absolutely have to do just that, for sure."

Koushoku parted from him no more than a few seconds later, then, and Keitaro watched her go for a few moments, at least, before beginning to head to his own room in the dorm, quite naturally enough. As he was just about to enter his room, though, he was suddenly told to wait for a moment. For Motoko had just caught him about to enter them for the night.

"What do you need, Motoko-chan?"

"I want to talk to you for a few moments, if I may. Also, I have a somewhat strange feeling that one of the girls possibly might somehow be planning something, though I don't know just what it might be, if they actually are doing so here and now, and I suspect that it may backfire too easily on them at the moment, and that you might unintentionally get hurt somehow in the process."

"Who do you think it might be, then?"

"I have absolutely no idea, Keitaro. But I really don't think it'd be very wise at all for you to even enter your room just yet, somehow. Let's go to the waterfall with each other, if you don't mind too much, near here, Keitaro."

"It's rather late, Motoko. Are you sure it'd be wise of us to do just that right now?"

"It may be wise, or it may not be wise, for us to both do so right now, but let's still go there, just the same."

"And if I don't really want to go there now, then what?"

"Either you sleep in the main room, you sleep in my room on a spare futon, or you come with me there right now, if not two of those three things, in very short order here. To put it quite frankly indeed here, if I must now do so sufficiently well here and now, Keitaro, I'm not actually going to let you sleep in your own room tonight, much less enter it, until at least dawn, if not even longer than that. Now either you can do one or two of those three things voluntarily, or you can do one or two of them involuntarily. I would really prefer, though, that you do one or two of those three things voluntarily here, you see."

"I see part of the old Motoko is trying to come back here, if I'm not too mistaken here?"

"Perhaps so. Listen, Keitaro. Let me put this as bluntly as possible, if I may. There are too many potential ears and eyes now present here on the grounds. I want, no, I need to talk to you where they might not actually be able to listen in or see our conversation with each other easily enough, if it can possibly ever be avoided at all somehow."

Keitaro thought about that briefly, and finally said, "You win, Motoko. But I still don't think this sort of thing is a very wise thing to do here on both our parts, just the same."

"Understood, Urashima. We can grab our jackets on the way out of here, then. By the way, I've already prepared and left a note stating in no uncertain terms just where we'd be going, just in case certain others would possibly be looking for us while we're away, and what might just happen to them if they interrupted our time with each other quite unnecessarily indeed while we're both out and about for at least a little while, if not a long while."

"I see. Well, if we must go, then, let's get to it before we're spotted needlessly, perhaps."

"Of course, Keitaro." The both of them soon grabbed their respective jackets from somewhere near the main entrance/exit of the girls-only dorm on the grounds, and then set off for the necessary waterfall then in question here with each other.

Keitaro wanted to talk with her on the way there, but she shot him a look that said, in essence, "No talking until we get to the waterfall, at least." So he didn't press the matter too much here, in fact, At least not yet, anyway. They both soon arrived there, and she said, as she then pulled a wooden sword out from somewhere under her jacket and tossed it to him here, "We should spar while we talk, so as to hopefully better disguise our conversation here with each other, I think, just in case others may somehow have unknowingly followed us here, Urashima. It has been quite a while since we last crossed blades with each other in sparring sessions, whether they're wooden ones or metal ones, it seems to me."

"Yes, I suppose it has, Motoko," he said here, as they both then began to prepare to spar here with each other, in a semi-casual manner.

"Much too long, as well, it seems to me. You and I have not sparred in a rather long time, and that should not remain the case here too much longer and too often, considering your current circumstances here." Motoko said this with a somewhat concerned look on her face here, in fact.

"Why are we going to be sparring with each other here while using wooden swords instead of metal ones, then, Motoko, if I might ask you this right now?"

"For our own mutual safeties here, we both are going to be sparring with some wooden swords now due to the current lateness of the hour, and due to your current medical condition, at least. Also, wooden swords would perhaps be much quieter than metal ones, since we're going to try to keep the others from eavesdropping on our conversation as best as we possibly can here, Keitaro, for that matter."

"What are the terms of this sparring session, then, Motoko? For I know that you'll obviously want something from me if you win here." Motoko then withdrew another wooden sword from somewhere on her person for her own use here and now, by the way.

Motoko thought for at least a few minutes here, as she then better secured her hair here so that it'd not fall in front of her eyes during the imminent sparring session, before eventually saying, "If I win, not only do you have to take me to any movie that I might actually wish to go to anywhere within the next month, but you must also promise to do whatever you possibly can to somehow actually survive for as long as you can in the future from now on, Keitaro. And you must not actually put yourself down ever again in my presence, at least, if and whenever possible, for that matter."

"I see. And if I win, then what will you give me?"

"I will marry you, without any unnecessary objection to the contrary, and I also will share you with any number of other young women, without any unnecessary objection to the contrary, if you might then so desire, Keitaro. Even if I might personally prefer to actually have you all to myself, of course, I still will do at least those two things for you, if you might then so desire me to, in fact."

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do that if I were to win here, Motoko? I don't want to force you to do those things for me if I did, you see."

"You won't be forcing me to, Urashima. In fact, I will do so quite willingly indeed here, in at least partial, if not total, atonement for all the times that I've mistreated you quite unfairly in the past since you first came to the Hinata Apartments to be our Dorm's manager. The way I see it, you have taught us all so very much while you've actually been with us. Even me, who once normally thought that virtually all males, if not all males, in this world of ours were essentially not worth my time in my very own mortal life if their presence could possibly ever be avoided somehow in my life. While I know there are plenty of various other males who are just like that in this world of ours, perhaps, I have now come to learn rather well indeed ever since you first came here to us that not every non-related male to us is actually like that in our world. Granted, they may be rather uncoordinated, in many cases, for whatever reason or reasons, and may often land in certain potentially rather compromising and/or rather embarrassing positions with various members of my gender, as a result of that actually somehow being the case for each of them in their own respective mortal lives. But many males in this world of ours aren't necessarily as bad as they generally once appeared to me. A fact that somehow took a rather long time for me to understand and learn rather well enough. Even with my own dear sister Tsuruko and certain others quite often saying as much to me," said Motoko, as she suddenly charged at Keitaro here without warning.

Keitaro defended himself as best as he then could against at least several dozen attempted strikes from her here, "I see, Motoko." He let her take out her frustrations about any number of things with her strikes for at least a little while before beginning to strike back at her here as well. If not for a long while, by the way. Eventually, he asked her here, "You said you had some things to discuss with me now, Motoko. What kinds of things, then, if I might ask you this here and now?"

"Us, for example, Keitaro. Would you really not mind being married to more than one of us at a time here or not, even if it wasn't exactly how you imagined things might have gone for any or all of us in our respective lives?"

"No, to be totally honest, I wouldn't mind it at all too much. However, such a thing does raise some potential questions of considerably complex natures here, I think. Like how every single one of those young women who I'd actually be married to at the same time would all deal sufficiently well with all the obvious responsibilities present in such an unusual marriage configuration, of course, Motoko. How would you all be able to handle such an unusual marriage configuration's requirements, seeing as there'd likely be at least six young women who'd be part of it, if I'm not too mistaken here, so that nobody's treated unfairly within it?" He continued sparring with her for at least a little while longer as he mentioned those things to her here, in fact.

"I really don't know, Keitaro. I suppose you could take turns with each of us for as long as you're still able to do that well enough, if necessary. Each of us, I suppose, would be able to arrange private time with you for marriage-related purposes, at least. Like each of us would have certain days of the week, or the month, assigned to us on a certain schedule, in terms of being with you as needed or desired. Now I realize that might not seem all that pleasant of an idea for most, if not all, of us, whether it's you or anyone else here, but it seems you need to father at least thirty children with any number of females, in order for you to somehow be saved well enough. And since we all know that it's often quite impossible for a normal enough human female to give birth to at least thirty or so children, much less even at least five or ten children, in most cases, if I'm not too mistaken here about such things, we must accept the fact that you will have to father them with at least a few females, if not more than just a few. Your most likely chance at having them seems to be at least with all six of us Hinata girls here, if not others as well, it seems to me," said Motoko, as she mainly attempted to defend herself as best as she then could here near the waterfall they were both quite near now.

They continued sparring for at least another five to ten minutes with each other, before Motoko eventually asked, "If this situation had never arisen for us in the first place, who do you think you would have most likely married, if at all possible, to be totally honest here and now with me, Keitaro?"

"Honestly, I really don't know for sure. Supposing that my chosen mate was old enough for me to be with them as their husband and with them as my wife, of course, I'm not really sure, Motoko. Maybe Koushoku, but I'm not too sure about that here. Remember, of all you girls, Naru was most likely the most aggressive one amongst you all, in terms of getting after me, with you a close second, perhaps, to be totally honest with you. As for Kitsune, she usually tried to scam me, as you know, in terms of trying to get me to get her sake or give her free time in terms of her rent for staying at the Apartments. Kaolla, she often tried to use me as her personal guinea pig for all her wild and crazy work projects, and she'd often jump on me in such a manner that I'd periodically land in certain positions with other people around here which both you and Koushoku would more often than not consider to be rather perverted, you know, and you'd both act rather ticked at me, often sending me flying without sufficient enough just cause. The only two of you girls who I never really had any problems with were," Keitaro trailed off as he suddenly had to jump over a nearby rock that had unexpectedly given way under Motoko's feet here.

"Mutsumi and Shinobu, if I get your drift well enough," answered Motoko, as she also tried to leap clear of that rock which had just given way when a considerably large boulder from somewhere nearby had smashed into it quite forcefully indeed. That boulder had crashed quite unexpectedly through a large thicket of bushes near the waterfall when a minor earthquake suddenly shook the general area of the Hinata Apartments' grounds, in fact. She was barely successful in doing so here, due to Keitaro's sudden lunge for her before she'd probably hit the water near him here too easily. He then lunged right for her here, not in an attack-type manner, but in a protection-type manner, as he leapt right over that rock that had suddenly given way under her feet during their sparring session here. She didn't try to block his lunge towards her, realizing almost instantly why he was then doing so here. With one motion, she then stashed her own wooden sword inside her jacket, and reached for him, hoping he could reach her well enough before they both hit the water near them too easily, of course.

He was somehow successful enough here, at least in terms of being his actually able to get a good enough grip on her here, before they both still hit the water together, much to her relief. But it still wasn't very easy at all for him to do just that here somehow, for that matter. They hit the water, and found themselves quickly submerged in it for at least a few seconds. Motoko was the first of them to open her eyes after they hit the water, and she soon saw they were both at least a few yards, if not more, from where they'd just been sparring with each other.

She soon saw that Keitaro was not breathing under the water at present, and quickly moved to try to bring him back up to the water's surface just as easily as she then could here. It took her at least a minute or two for her to find a good enough place to do that, during which time she periodically gave him some air exhaled from her very own lungs as needed, of course. Eventually, she found a suitable enough place where she could surface well enough with him to allow him to breathe actual air again, and quickly did so, once she realized sufficiently well that she'd done just that quite well enough here.

It took her about another minute or so for her to reach the surface with him quite well enough here. Once she'd done that well enough at the current time, she made as sure as she possibly could that he was getting enough breathable enough air here, before doing the same for herself quite well indeed. He eventually began to expel all the water that he'd unintentionally just taken in while he'd just been underwater with Motoko several long moments before, especially after they both had managed to get themselves out of that water here sufficiently well here. Once he had done just that quite well enough to suit her well enough here, he soon asked, "Are you all right, Motoko?"

"Yes, I will be fine. However, our clothes are, at least for the most part, quite soaked, as you might logically expect here, Keitaro. We had best perhaps remove them if we don't want to catch pneumonia, I think."

"We can't exactly go back inside the Apartments naked, Motoko."

"Perhaps not, but do you see any other alternative that might work better here? I see none, at the present time, and most, if not all, of these nearby plants are not suitable enough for temporary body coverings, it seems."

Keitaro considered their current dilemma briefly, before suddenly asking her, "Do you by any chance have that transformation device that Kaolla gave you earlier?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Do you have your own transformation device with you as well, then, Keitaro?"

"Believe it or not, I do, for some strange reason."

"What were you thinking of, then, Keitaro?"

"We could power up temporarily into our respective Senshi or Knight forms, Motoko, after we remove our wet clothes as needed, I suppose. You said that we had best perhaps remove them for our own good, in essence, just now, did you not?"

"It seems I did, Keitaro."

"Then perhaps we could each go behind one of these nearby bushes and do whatever we each might have to do behind them?"

"That sounds logical enough, Keitaro."

"Then let's handle our current situation that way, if you don't mind too much, Motoko."

"Very well, then. How do you suggest we do this, then?"

"A best-of-three RPS game here, if that's quite all right with you here and now?"

"Acceptable. Winner gets the choice of changing first or second?"

"Yes, that's reasonable enough, then."

Keitaro then went Paper-Rock-Rock-Scissors-Paper here. While Motoko personally went Rock-Paper-Rock-Scissors-Rock for herself now. After the Rock-Paper-Scissors match was sufficiently over here, Keitaro soon chose to transform second here. So Motoko then went right behind one of the nearby bushes, quickly stripped as needed, and quietly said the necessary transformation phrase for herself, which was "Warrior Symphony Power, Engage!" No more than a few brief moments later, then, she emerged from where she'd just been otherwise attired mere moments before in her Sailor Ozom fighting uniform. The top of which consisted of a mostly crimson sleeveless V-neck-style sweater over a mostly white long-sleeved blouse, and a mostly royal blue sailor-style collar without a matching front bow actually either attached to it to secure her sailor-style collar sufficiently well or not attached to it in any way whatsoever. And the bottom of which consisted of a matching knee-length skirt without a matching back bow just above her skirt's waist, and two mostly crimson military-style boots with periodic white and royal blue trim or decorations wherever and whenever appropriate enough for her on them here. Her Sailor Ozom fighting uniform was, in many, though not all, respects quite similar to Shinobu's Sailor Leyua fighting uniform. For instance, where Shinobu actually had a front bow of some sort on her own Sailor Leyua fighting uniform, Motoko did not have one on her own Sailor Ozom fighting uniform. Also, the main colors of the various parts for their respective uniforms were not generally rather similar to each other here and now. At least not for the most part, anyway, they weren't. And their respective boots as rather different Sailor Senshi were of different styles, quite naturally enough, of course. When Sailor Ozom finally emerged from out behind the bush she'd earlier been behind here, she had a rather strange musical instrument in her hands, and two metal swords hanging from her left hip on a belt of some sort. The musical instrument in question was some sort of combination wind and string instrument made of cedar. It wasn't an instrument fairly common in Japan, if it was more often than rarely found in Japan. This musical instrument was called an irsanir, and it was typically played in public places, while also generally being considered appropriate for anyone. It was specific to a certain culture, and it was part of a long historical tradition, for that matter. When she came out from behind the necessary bush here, and Keitaro saw her well enough after doing so, he asked, "What do you have in your hands, Motoko?"

"I'm not quite sure just yet what this is. I had it earlier, if memory serves, during the battle to break and remove the curse from the Annex. But I still don't know what it is, and how it ended up in my possession in the first place."

Just then, Queen Serenity suddenly appeared between Keitaro and Sailor Ozom, standing as gracefully as she then could when she appeared to them both here. She glanced somewhat briefly at Sailor Ozom, and then just as briefly at Keitaro, who'd not yet transformed, and soon said, "Sailor Ozom, the musical instrument you now have in your hands is called an irsanir. It was one of the things that I sent from the past when I sent my dear daughter Serenity and many others to the future, along with all the things they'd need in it that I could send with them then. Or at least that I then will send to the future, when the time finally comes for me to have to do that, in fact. By the time you see me like this here, the Moon Kingdom will be no more. But still, as I now say this to you here, the Moon Kingdom still exists. The instrument you now hold in your hands belonged to one of your predecessors as Sailor Ozom, once she was given it by another Sailor Senshi then present in her life. She had it in her possession when the Moon Kingdom fell, for that matter. And she used it, or will use it, to try to help defend our civilization and many of the inhabitants of it, but fell, or will fall, in battle while doing so. Time passed, or will pass, depending on a person's perspective here, of course. You once held this very instrument a while back yourself, but you do not remember doing so, am I right?"

"That is true, Queen Serenity. Why do I now have it here, whether or not what you say here is quite true, then, if I might ask you this?"

"Because you will have need of it once again in the near future, it seems to both me and Sailor Pluto, at least, Sailor Ozom. Several others will be joining you all there shortly, for that matter, and most of them will most definitely be males."

"The yet-unaccounted Knights, I presume?" asked Sailor Ozom of Queen Serenity.

"Correct. They will arrive there within twelve hours of your current time, it seems, if Pluto's predictions sufficiently related to them are accurate enough here."

"Oh, boy! Several of the others might not like this too much, Queen Serenity," said Keitaro, all of a sudden here. "That's if I'm not too mistaken here, of course."

"Their presences will be required, darling. You may not think so, but they still will be. Otherwise, you can perhaps kiss at least the general area around the Hinata Apartments good-bye for at least a little while, if not a long while, I think."

"I'm not your darling, Queen Serenity."

"Then why don't you tell that to your heart, Keitaro? It seems to recognize me somehow at least a little bit, if not a lot, seeing as you're now blushing just a tad here, it seems. Right, Sailor Ozom?"

"Believe it or not, Keitaro, Queen Serenity is telling the truth about you blushing," said Sailor Ozom as she suddenly picked up a somewhat shiny stone that she'd just seen on the ground near her feet, and placed it in front of him. He soon saw that Queen Serenity was telling him the truth about him blushing a bit here and now.

"This is ridiculous!" said Keitaro as his mind tried to grasp that fact well enough, and as his heart began to race at least a little, if not a lot, in sheer excitement at the sight of Queen Serenity in a somewhat gorgeous kimono-like robe that then fell currently to about her knees instead of where it normally would fall near her ankles, due to it being folded up and bunched up a bit near or at her own waist, in fact. Not only that, but his eyes were fluttering at least a bit as he tried to keep himself from staring at her rather well-formed lower legs and feet, which were each now quite bare indeed here, for that matter.

"So you say, Keitaro," Motoko commented, "But still not totally surprising here, I think. For Queen Serenity is a rather attractive-looking woman, it seems to me here. And frankly, I find it quite amusing indeed for you to actually be blushing at such an attractive woman with your fluttering eyes here, to be totally honest."

"You also are apparently thinking something else here, Sailor Ozom," said Keitaro, studying her and her face quite closely as she quite frantically tried to hold in a large batch of heavily-uncharacteristic giggling at the sight he now made with his fluttering eyes here.

"Go strip and transform, Keitaro, before I can't help but grab you and kiss you senseless here and now!"

Keitaro wasted no further time in doing just what Sailor Ozom had just told him to actually do here, for all the obvious reasons here, then. Once he was sufficiently behind the necessary nearby bush, then, she let her amusement free as it had just been struggling with her to let it do so quite well enough. And the giggles began quite rapidly pouring out of her like a huge flood, perhaps, until she had sufficiently giggled about their current situation here and now to satisfy her well enough at the current time. Queen Serenity watched her do so for at least five or ten minutes, if not even longer than that, and when Sailor Ozom finally managed to get herself sufficiently under control again here, she said, "Sailor Ozom, that was quite interesting of you here, I think. When was the last time that you actually laughed like that, as far as you can remember? I'm just wondering, you see, that's all."

"Ages, perhaps, Queen Serenity. I really am not sure just when the last time that I ever laughed like that was, to be totally honest with you here and now."

"You might very well be quite right here, Sailor Ozom. So, one woman to another, what do you think of him, personally, now that you've obviously known him for a while in your life?"

"He is rather complex indeed. Granted, he doesn't necessarily have a great deal of coordination at times, but there is no doubt that he really cares for all of us very much who are primarily his responsibility now in his own mortal life. He truly deserves a lot more than most of us who've been with him for quite some time have often given him in the past ever since he first came to the Hinata apartments to be our manager."

"Including you, no doubt, if I get your drift well enough?"

"Yes, that is so, Queen Serenity."

"Do you now wish things were different from the way they actually are now, or from the way that they actually were when he first came to the Hinata Apartments to be your manager, Sailor Ozom?"

"Yes, very much so, and so do many, if not all, of my fellow primary tenants at the Hinata Apartments, Queen Serenity. I am very concerned, at the very least, about what the future will be like for many, if not most or all of us, once our future enemy or enemies appear sufficiently near us in order to fight against us, for that matter."

"As I'd actually expect you to be, Sailor Ozom. This upcoming conflict that you and many others will be part of will most certainly not be an easy one for any or all of you to win somehow. Many sentients on both main sides of the conflict will most likely die during it, and possibly even among those who you fight alongside with in that very same conflict. As for who might somehow survive it quite well enough, I really don't know just yet, and neither does Sailor Pluto, for that matter. You could very well lose any number of people who are quite close to you now in your own mortal life, in fact."

"I don't want to, Queen Serenity."

"You may not want to, but you most likely will, at least once, if not more than once, in the future, as you battle your future enemy or enemies, Sailor Ozom. I hope it doesn't turn out that way for you all, of course. But if they're as strong as I suspect they very well could be, with at least one evil force that you might find yourselves fighting against in the future, you most likely will lose any number of your associates on your side of things."

"She shouldn't have to lose any of them, if it can possibly be avoided at all, Queen Serenity," said Hinata Knight, as he emerged from behind the nearby bush that Keitaro had gone behind at least a few moments before. "She shouldn't have to deal with the pain of losing them, I think." Keitaro, AKA Hinata Knight, was now wearing a mostly orange and black suit of armor with a mostly red and yellow cape or cloak of some sort. And this suit of armor had periodic red and yellow trim or decorations on the suit of armor, wherever and whenever appropriate enough. He also had both the Hina Blade and Urashima-Akyushio, or Urakyu, on his left hip, for that matter, when he finally emerged out from behind the necessary bush as already stated here.

Sailor Ozom and Queen Serenity looked at Hinata Knight's current appearance for a little while with each other, and Queen Serenity said, "He looks quite a bit like my beloved husband did in his much younger days, Sailor Ozom. Except that he doesn't have a beard, unlike my husband at his age, if memory serves me well enough here. He is surely a real looker here, though. You young women are all quite fortunate indeed to actually have him around you at present. Please cherish every moment that you each can have with him somehow, for at least the time being, because there may very well be a time in the near future when he will not be with you any longer. Or at least not for a very long time, if he's ever somehow able to be saved as needed, Sailor Ozom. Let his current presence in your lives brighten all your days and nights for as long as possible, while you still can. Prepare to battle with those who wronged him, and perhaps many others as well in like manner, and not with each other. He will need you all to work together as best as all of you possibly can do just that. The better you work with each other as needed, the longer you just might to have with him somehow. The worse you get along with each other and work with each other, the sooner you might lose him, at least for a while, if not permanently. Your shared unity is crucial to his survival, you see. If you are sufficiently united in your lives, he will perhaps be able to gain much strength from you all. And vice versa. However, the more you all are somehow disunited from each other, the greater the chance there might be of him actually being lost sooner rather than later for you all."

"So our unity will play a major part in whether or not he will survive, if I get your drift well enough, Queen Serenity?" asked Sailor Ozom.

"It very well could do just that. I could be quite wrong about that, but I'm not quite sure just yet about that, if I ever will be. In any case, do try to help him and each other out as much as possible for as long as you can, no matter who you are, Sailor Ozom. It could be the only real way that you all might somehow be able to do whatever thing or things that you'll need to do in order to ultimately defeat the evil force or forces that you will all be battling for quite some time into the future, it now seems to at least Pluto and me, if not anyone else as well."

"And what of your civilization, then?"

"My civilization as it now is, at the time that I'm talking to you here from, will be lost, but I will somehow still save whatever and whoever I possibly can from it, when the need arises for me to do just that, I'm quite certain, Sailor Ozom. Please do all that each of you can to make sure nothing sufficiently similar ever happens again anywhere at all in the known Universe, okay?"

"On my word of honor as an Aoyama, I promise you this, Queen Serenity."

"Very well, then. Tell my daughter that I will continue to aid her and others as much as I can, whenever I can, in the future, if you please."

"Of course, Queen Serenity. She is Usagi, in this time, is she not?"

"Correct. Take care of her as you have periodically done the same for the other primary residents of the Hinata Apartments, if and whenever possible and/or needed, okay?"

"I promise you this as well. Anything else?"

"No, not at the moment. I must leave you both now, but I will see you both again later, at least once more, if at all possible, somehow, just the same." Queen Serenity then vanished from sight here and now just as quickly as she'd earlier appeared between Sailor Ozom and Keitaro while Keitaro was still yet to go behind the necessary bush.

Five minutes or so more of mostly silent contemplation on both their parts later, they were then beginning to head back to the main part of the Hinata Apartments' grounds here, in fact. About a hundred or so feet, perhaps, from the nearest part of the girls-only dorm though, Sailor Ozom suddenly pulled Hinata Knight behind a large stone wall of some sort, so as to hide them both from potentially spying eyes and ears in either the girls-only dorm or the Annex. She then reached up and touched his cheeks somewhat affectionately indeed, in a rather uncharacteristic nature indeed for her. With that now done, she then, rather carefully indeed, felt around them and his chin for any and/or all potential hurts that she'd not actually been able to search for immediately after they'd made it out of the water well enough subsequent to their rather sudden swim. Finding no such hurts well enough, or at least no such hurts at the current time, she then had him lie down briefly behind that wall on a certain marble bench of sorts. He complied immediately, though he didn't really understand why at the current time. Which was now rapidly approaching 3 in the morning, if they both could actually judge the current time well enough here somehow. For neither of them currently had a watch on their respective persons here, by the way.

When Hinata Knight was lying down well enough to suit her sufficiently enough on that particular marble bench, Sailor Ozom then lay next to him on it. It was a bench wide enough to allow two people to lie on it side-by-side, either on their backs, stomachs, or sides, in fact. In this particular case, though, both of them lay on that bench while on their respective sides. Sailor Ozom was on her left side, and her irsanir was near her head, after she chose how she wanted to lay on that bench near Hinata Knight. As for Hinata Knight, he was lying on his right side, and facing her, as he lay on the bench near her. She then reached for his face, and held it in her hands yet again. Then she pulled him to her as best as she currently could, and rained several dozen pecks on his cheeks and neck and forehead for at least a minute or so, if not longer. Sailor Ozom considered actually kissing him on his lips here, but ultimately decided against it, simply for reasons of sheer fairness to all the other girls then at the Hinata Apartments who might want to smooch him as well eventually. Especially to those who were also primary tenants of it just like she was, for that matter.

Eventually, she stopped raining kisses on his exposed skin here, and pulled him up into a seated position on that bench here. With that done, she soon had them both get off the bench and actually finish making their ways back to the girls-only dorm for the rest of the night, for all the obvious reasons here, of course. They both arrived back in them by no later than about 3:15 or so in the morning. And Hinata Knight soon decided to sleep in the main room, while Sailor Ozom decided to sleep in her own room, for that matter. As for everyone else on the grounds, whether humanoid, felinoid, or something else, they were all quite soundly asleep already by the time that Sailor Ozom and Hinata Knight arrived back in the girls-only dorm with each other quite well enough, in fact.

* * *

Several hours later, at the very most, then, nineteen other people showed up rather suddenly indeed at the Hinata Apartments. And they were the as-yet-unseen others who also would actually be part of the necessary Sailor Senshi and Knights team for the Hinata Solar System. A dozen of them were to be other Knights for it, and seven of them were to be other Senshi for it, in fact.

Once they all had shown up on the grounds as well, as needed, they soon were paired up as necessary on the perhaps-new Senshi and Knights team for the Hinata Solar System of the Universe. Keitaro was very soon afterward paired up with some version of Anne Frank, who proved to be Sailor Hinata. Shinobu and Shingo had already been paired up as appropriate, at least in terms of them both still representing Leyua in the applicable solar system, quite naturally enough. Koushoku soon found herself paired up with some version of Lancelot du Lac, who soon proved to be assigned to actually represent Farujei as its chosen Knight. Gurio and Midori still continued to represent Sudui here for their team, or were soon chosen as its designated Knight and Senshi, as needed here, as well. Kagome's Knight counterpart for Jeroru soon proved to be Ginkuro, somewhat to her surprise. Rolando and Sylvia soon proved to be Rizob's chosen Senshi and Knight, when the need arose for them to be proven as such, if they hadn't already been sufficiently well by then here and now. Sudui's moon of Alarin's new Knight and Senshi soon proved themselves to be Cory Matthews and Topanga Lawrence. While its moon Domael soon chose as its own Knight some version of Arthur Pendragon and as its own Senshi some version of Alex Mack. As for its own moon of Okrez, that particular moon soon chose Tenchi Masaki as its Knight and Sango as its Senshi. Motoko was then joined in representing Ozom on the team by one David Ben Jesse, AKA the Israelite king long known as King David, quite surprisingly indeed to her here and now. Mutsumi then found her assigned planet's chosen Knight to be some version of Almanzo Wilder, while still remaining Sailor Milau herself. Umaruc chose its Knight next, to co-represent it along with Mitsune as its Senshi, one Kenshin Himura. Then Teyeu chose its Knight and Senshi, and those two were Kevin Arnold as its Knight and Laura Ingalls as its Senshi. Boja then came next, and soon chose Heiji Hattori as its Knight, and Gwendolyn Cooper as its Senshi. Dudoru then chose Solomon, AKA Solomon Ben David and/or Israel's King Solomon, as its Knight and Ayeka Jurai as its Senshi. Agaz chose Sherlock Holmes and Laura Winslow as its Knight and Senshi, respectively. That left only one more person of the nineteen others who'd just shown up at the Apartments not too long before to be chosen here, and that person was Steve Urkel. Seeing as the only one who was now present without a current Knight counterpart for their designated world in the applicable solar system was Kaolla, who was actually Sailor Izemu at the present time, Steve Urkel was then chosen to be Izemu's Knight for the team, by logical enough extension here. That choice of Izemu's here actually completed the current configuration of Senshi and Knights on the applicable perhaps-new team of warriors, quite naturally enough, then.

They all soon began to get to know each other, at least a little bit, if not a lot. Even as Keitaro and several others helped the nineteen new members of the Hinata Solar System's Senshi and Knights team start to get settled into various rooms anywhere at all on the Hinata Apartments' grounds. It was soon learned that there were several of them who were currently seeing each other in a romantic sense, at least, for that matter. For instance, Kevin Arnold and Gwendolyn Cooper were currently a dating couple. So were Gurio and Midori, Rolando and Sylvia, Cory and Topanga, Laura Ingalls and Almanzo, Tenchi and Ayeka, Steve and Laura Winslow, and Shinichi and Ran. Shingo, as well, had a girlfriend by the name of Mika, but she wasn't actually a Senshi yet, if she'd ever be one somehow, by the way. And Ginkuro was currently dating someone other than Kagome, in fact.

As for the ones who were currently not dating anyone romantically, at least, those people were now Keitaro, Anne, Shinobu, Lancelot, Koushoku, Kagome, Arthur, Alex, David, Motoko, Kenshin, Mutsumi, Heiji, Solomon, Sherlock, and Kaolla, at least. It was not yet obvious just how things might play out in terms of potential romantic pairings for those currently unattached to anyone in their own respective lives, whether or not those potential pairings dealt with Keitaro in any way whatsoever, either.

It took the nineteen new arrivals most of the rest of the day, at least, if not even longer than that, to settle themselves on the grounds of the Hinata Apartments quite well enough to suit them all here sufficiently enough. Some of them needed at least a few days to do so quite well enough. But none of them took more than a week, at most, in order to do so well enough, in any case whatsoever, for sure. And by no later than noon on June 26, 1993, at the very latest, they were all quite settled as needed in and on the grounds of the Hinata Apartments. Not to mention also getting to know each other and become quite familiar indeed with each other's various abilities and items, whether in their civilian forms of existence or their combat forms of existence, by the way.

They all were quite fully started with the necessary combat training sessions, then, by 6 pm on June 26, 1993, under the quite-watchful eyes of the currently-present Sol System Senshi and Knights, and with their periodic assistance as needed, whenever needed, for that matter. Certain previously-dormant abilities that they'd each used as various Sailor Senshi and/or Knights some time before soon returned to them all quite well indeed, along with various memories of times they'd actually spent with each other, whether during battles or not, by the way.

Little did they all yet know quite well enough in their very own respective mortal lives, but any number of things would actually change quite considerably indeed for them within the next few months, at the very most, for sure. No matter where they then somehow happened to be in each of their own respective such lives. Especially after Keitaro and several others would eventually return once again to the grounds of the Hinata Apartments after their upcoming round-the-world trip, in fact. But that particular fact was still yet to be learned, and that fact was still to not be learned, well enough, by all necessary sentients here somehow for a yet-unknown length of time then in the future, though. In the meantime, at least, they all then spent a great deal of time, both in getting to know each other at least a little bit better on all their parts here and in training with each other and/or the various Sol System Senshi and/or Knights that were then present as well on those very same grounds, just the same.

* * *

Chapter Six should have at least a bit more romance in it, and perhaps at least the beginning of the round-the-world trip that's been mentioned quite often in the past few chapters. I don't know for sure yet if it will cover the entire round-the-world trip or not, people, but things will not be as they now are for much longer in the story, just the same. It remains to be seen whether or not the future enemy or enemies for the Senshi and Knights will show at least a little bit in the next chapter. But if not, then it will not be too much longer before they do so, I believe. They all will come to encounter that enemy or those enemies soon enough, I promise you, but not just yet, perhaps, by the end of the next chapter or two for this story.

For those Senshi and/or Knights who are not yet potential girlfriends or boyfriends to each other, at least, I am quite willing to consider any and all reasonable enough possible pairings between them all that you might then suggest. However, there are plenty more people who will eventually enter this story who might more commonly be considered to be paired with each other in such pairings in the applicable canon story Universes, mind you. Who they might be, I am not yet prepared to divulge, for obvious reasons here and now, by the way, people. Only male-female ones, please, of course.

Well, I suppose that's just about enough talking here about what I currently expect for the rest of this story, at least, I think, everyone. If you liked this chapter of the story sufficiently well here, then, please do consider leaving me some quite clean, quite courteous, and quite constructive reviews here, of course. TUS out!


	6. Chapter Six: Wedding Bells?

After much hard work and effort, the chapter below is finally done. It'll most certainly be quite action-packed indeed, people. There'll certainly be at least a few decent enough scenes of romance in this particular chapter of the story, if not a lot of them, by the way. But it still won't be filled with just romance here, by the way. With no further ado here and now, then, I'll close this introduction to the chapter shown below in very short order here. I really hope that you're all at least a little pleased, if not very pleased, with just how this particular chapter here actually turned out while you were all waiting for it here, of course. If you are, or even if you aren't, I still really hope that you'll all leave me at least some, if not a lot of, rather clean, rather courteous, and rather constructive reviews for it and/or the other already-posted chapters for it, quite naturally enough, then, of course. TUS out.

* * *

Chapter Six: Wedding Bells?

* * *

Two days later, more or less, while returning from a shopping trip to a few nearby stores, Koushoku found Keitaro walking for a while around the local area, and decided to join him where he then was. At the current time, he was near the playground in which he had made a promise to got to Toudai quite some time before, in fact. Rather near it, for that matter. He didn't expect to run into her while he was out walking, but still did so, just the same.

She eventually asked, right after finding him walking around the area for a while, "Do you mind if I join you for a bit, Keitaro?" Koushoku was wearing a simple tan silk blouse with slightly puffed shoulders over a dark blue knee-length denim skirt that was periodically decorated with several mostly saffron yellow, burgundy, and pink hearts on it in various places for it. Her current footwear was a mostly burgundy and white pair of rather simple tennis shoes here, for that matter. As for her own brownish hair at present, she was actually wearing part of it secured with a mostly burgundy bow at both ends, and part of it in two braids on the sides, wherever and whenever possible for her then and there, by the way.

"I suppose that's fine, Naru. I was just walking for a while, and trying to think over various things at least a little bit, if not a lot."

"I see. I was heading back to the Apartments when I just ran into you like I did here."

"Did you have a good shopping trip? It seems like you found quite a few things to get for yourself, at least, if not others as well."

"You might say that, Keitaro. Truth is, though, I would really have preferred to shop with you then, believe it or not."

"Oh, how so?"

"I was looking for a few more things that might be suitable enough for me to wear on our trip around the world, you see, Keitaro."

"I see. And you wanted to go with me then, right?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. But by the time I thought of going shopping here, you were already gone from the Apartments, you see. Mind if I ask where you went first when you left this morning?"

"No, I don't think so. If you really must know, though, before I decided to walk around the local area here at least for a while, I went to UBGES to contribute more sperm samples to them for possible future use as needed and/or desired, Naru. I didn't have a chance to get back there for at least a little while, you see, with all the brand-new tenants moving into the Annex and the girls-only dormitory here, for all the obvious reasons."

"Yes, I suppose it's been rather busy of late on the Hinata Apartments' grounds, considering all of the recent arrivals on it, Keitaro." Naru suddenly got a potentially weird idea here. And, rather quickly indeed, she then decided to pull him along with her as she set off for the nearby playground in question here. Keitaro soon let her do so here. But still not immediately, just the same. He eventually stopped struggling to break sufficiently free of her grasp once he realized well enough just where she was taking him then, and why she was likely doing so then, for that matter.

She soon led him to the same sandbox that he'd sat in a long time before with at least one girl while they'd actually been trying to make a sand castle of some sort with each other back when they were still just kids in their own mortal lives. The very same sandbox that he and they actually had promised to go to Toudai with each other, when they were both grown up, in, by the way. Whether that particular girl was Naru, Mutsumi, or some other girl entirely, in truth, Keitaro had been in that particular sandbox with at least one girl, if not more than one girl, before she or they had eventually moved away from where he then was some unknown length of time later.

Naru then had him sit down in the necessary sandbox near her, even as she set her shopping bags near it, for all the obvious reasons here. Once he was seated quite well enough to suit her sufficiently enough here, she then entered the very same sandbox and sat near him in it as well, sitting in it cross-legged so that her feet were under her at the present time. She then asked him to try to imagine just what the Hinata Apartments' grounds might eventually look like someday yet in the future, whether it was in the near future or not.

He thought in relative silence for at least a few, if not several, rather long minutes before then beginning to try to build a miniature representation, at a scale of perhaps at least one-sixtieth, more or less, of what he thought the Hinata Apartments' grounds just might possibly look like in the future, starting from the part where the girls-only dorm would perhaps be on them. Meaning, simply enough, that he was using a scale of perhaps one inch for his current creation to about five feet in his imagined future representation of them, more or less. Whether that girls-only dorm was the one that he'd already managed for quite some time indeed or not, he still began working on that part of things first here, quite naturally enough. He then worked on that particular building of sand for at least an hour, even going so far as to spend several minutes on various items in several of the many rooms there, in fact. Once he actually finished working on that particular building as he then saw fit, he soon began to work on certain other buildings that he felt also needed to be present on the currently-applicable grounds here as well, for that matter. Like the Annex, for instance, if it still would perhaps exist at the time he was then thinking of here. Or for the boys-only dorm, if it didn't, or even if the Annex that now housed most of the Knights that were currently staying in it still actually existed at that particular time in the future, by the way. He ultimately put quite a few things in that imagined representation of certain potentially-future things on the Hinata Apartments' grounds, much to Naru's quite-obvious surprise here. When he was finally done well enough to suit him sufficiently enough here, he leaned back and said, "There, that should be just about enough work on this particular sand-based creation of mine here and now, perhaps. Take a look at that, Naru, and tell me what you actually happen to think of my work here."

She studied his work of at least three or so hours in duration here for several minutes, at the very least, and Naru then saw a twelve-story girls-only dorm with exterior styling much like what was currently present for the Hinata Apartments. At least on the two or three lowest levels of it, anyway. Various flags of various kinds and featuring many different designs on them now hung from dozens of rather tall flagpoles near that dormitory, in several clusters as might then be appropriate here, much like the numerous national flags that usually flew on numerous staffs somewhere outside the United Nations main headquarters building in Jerusalem, Israel, in fact. [AN: Yes, people, I know that in our real world, the United Nations is actually based in New York City, in the United States, but this story is set in a different dimension of the Universe. Specifically the Dreamrose Dimension of it. As such, things may, and are often, quite different in it from what they are in our real world. This is one such difference, for example, and so it will remain, just the same.] There was, of course, a good-sized hot springs on the grounds. It didn't look exactly like the present-day hot springs, but it was still at least a little reminiscent of it, quite naturally enough. That hot springs area was at least large enough to have a minimum capacity of 300 people, but not large enough to have a maximum capacity of more than 500 people, at once. Part of it was primarily female-only, part of it was primarily male-only, and part of it was primarily mixed-bath-only, quite obviously enough. Somewhat tall mostly stone walls helped each area remain relatively isolated in most respects from the other two areas, but they could be periodically adjusted as needed from elsewhere on the Apartments' grounds if and/or whenever needed and/or desired by any of the tenants or staff then on the grounds, for that matter. The primarily mixed-bath-only part of the hot springs was connected to the respective single-gender bathing areas by sheer necessity, and it was situated smack-dab in the middle between both of them, by logical enough extension here. The hot springs were closest to the girls-only dorm on the grounds, while the nearest part of the boys-only dorm was at least the equivalent of 100 feet away from the nearest part of the springs to them, in any case at all. Just as the girls-only dorm was twelve stories high at its greatest extent, the boys-only dorm on the Hinata Apartments' grounds was too, to be quite fair enough to them here as well. However, it somehow actually resembled the Annex of the past much more than it resembled either the present girls-only dorm or the imagined future girls-only dorm. At least in its exterior appearance, if not also in its interior appearance, anyway.

Several other buildings were then present on his imagined future Hinata Apartments' grounds, including a rather moderately-sized building in or somewhere near the particular place on them where the Annex currently stood in the present day, but none of them were sufficiently identifiable to Naru here, in fact. At least not at the present time, anyway. So she asked, "What are several of these buildings here, Keitaro?"

"One of them is an armory of sorts. Another is a hospital of sorts. A third is a library of sorts. And a fourth is an arboretum of sorts. Underground, there is also a rather considerable network of numerous tunnels and/or caverns where our future enemies will hopefully never somehow be able to go. The garden that we all most likely saw a while ago elsewhere on the Apartments' grounds when several others were looking for a place for them to periodically train in will become part of the arboretum, it seems to me, if things ever do somehow look enough like this on them some yet-unknown length of time in the future on them. The specific reason that there are actually twelve levels to both of the dormitories then on them will be because Senshi and Knight-type sentients from at least five to ten, if not at least twelve, different solar systems will make their ways to here, and reside here, in time, I believe. Each solar system's Senshi and/or Knights will reside on at least one particular floor of each dormitory as needed. The Sol System Senshi and/or Knights will, I believe, get any number of rooms on the topmost floor of each dormitory, if they so choose to do just that, for instance. Those Senshi and/or Knights actually with families of their very own will also, perhaps, be able to choose which particular dormitory they'd then reside in on the Apartments' grounds, whether it's the girls-only dorm or the boys-only one. At the particular time that this imagining of the Hinata Apartments' grounds might possibly be set in, there'll not yet be a separate dorm for actual families to reside in on the Apartments' grounds, if I'm not too mistaken here. But it will still be in the process of being discussed as needed, at least, perhaps. If it's not actually in the process of being planned, that is, by that time, if it ever comes to pass somehow quite well indeed, of course."

"Where would the Hinata Solar System Senshi and/or Knights' floors be in the respective dorms, then, perhaps?" asked Naru.

"Presumably the eleventh-floor rooms, depending on how many Sol System Senshi and/or Knights there'd be residing in the required dorm or dorms at any particular time, I figure," answered Keitaro, as he then looked briefly off in a random direction rather unexpectedly indeed. "Depending on the needs of the various Senshi and/or Knights staying on the grounds at a particular time, rooms on the necessary floors of either dorm will be assigned as needed, I believe. For those Senshi and/or Knights that somehow are actually members of more than one team, as I'm quite sure there eventually will be, if there aren't any already, they may actually happen to need multiple rooms for their own use or uses, for all the obvious reasons, Naru. I really do not know just who might actually take up my Hinata Knight position, if and when I am ever somehow unable to serve any longer as such, in the future. But I do still really hope that someone suitable will eventually succeed me as such, if the need ever arises, quite obviously enough." He soon looked at her briefly, before resting his eyes on his just-finished creation made of sand here for at least a few more seconds, if not for at least another minute or so.

"Hopefully, we'll never have to find out, Keitaro."

"I hope so too, Naru. But the fact is, I'm most likely going to die before our future enemy or enemies are sufficiently defeated as necessary, you know."

"Yes, perhaps you might be right about that. But that doesn't mean we won't still try to find a way to eventually avenge and save you somehow, along with any or all of the others who might have been zapped just like you actually were last year, you know, Keitaro. Let's not talk about that sort of thing any longer here, though. At least not right now, anyway. Okay?"

"Then what do you propose we talk about?"

"This and about us, if it's quite all right with you," said Naru, as she suddenly reached into a purse near her, and took out a camera. She snapped at least a few pictures of Keitaro's work here, while even including him in a number of pictures, as she saw fit. Then she put her camera back in her purse, once she felt she'd snapped enough such pictures with her camera, and soon proceeded to pull him out of the sandbox, and off towards the nearest swing set to that sandbox. She had him take one swing, before taking the one next to him on his left, and they swung for a little while on that swing set. Once she felt they'd each swung on the swings for a long enough time, she led them both to a nearby bench in the playground, took off his glasses, and set them in his pocket. That done, she then reached for his face, and nuzzle up to him a bit. Naru nuzzled up to him for a little while before tilting her head up, and beginning to smooch him, first on the back of his neck, then up both sides of it as best as she actually could here and now. After that, her lips soon came around to the front of his neck, and began to ascend it, until she reached the part of it that met his lower jaw. Laying several small and short kisses on the underside of his lower jaw, she worked her way towards his chin with them. She smooched his chin for a while, once she got there, and soon moved to his right cheek with at least a few more kisses either on the front of his head or its right side. Next, once she felt she'd spent enough time on that side of his head, she moved to the other side of it, and applied kisses all over it just as she'd done on the right side of it, of course. However, Naru chose to bypass his lips while doing so, knowing that not even Shinobu had chosen to kiss him there just yet. She didn't want to take unfair advantage of the other girls, so she avoided his lips with her kisses, at least at the current time, even though part of her really wanted to kiss him on them, just the same. Eventually, she moved from the left side of his head to his nose and forehead, where she kissed him several more times before putting her lips away here for at least a little while, if not a long while. When she finally stopped kissing him like she just had, then, she'd actually left at least 200 kisses, if nor more kisses than that, on various parts of his then-exposed skin over a span of about 25 or so minutes, perhaps, more or less.

When she stopped, Keitaro said, "I thought you were going to kiss me on my lips, while you were still kissing me just like you were here, Naru."

"I chose not to, Keitaro. None of the other girls have done that yet to you, right? And because I no longer am evidently the one who is essentially the effective leader of the primary tenants for the Hinata Apartments, it didn't seem sufficiently right for me to do that when the others haven't done so. Especially Shinobu. And we all know just how she feels about you. Shinobu rarely has gotten very angry with us, at least in an obvious enough manner, so you know that whenever she does so, she can perhaps be the scariest of all of us to deal with. When she shows her anger, she really shows it very strongly indeed, it seems to me. So it's best not to anger her needlessly, if and whenever it can possibly be avoided at all, you see. Those aliens had better be quite ready for battle, for if they're not, they will most likely wish that they had been by the time she gets through with them! Supposing she ever faces them in battle, of course!"

"I really don't want her to ever have to fight them, if it can possibly ever be avoided at all, somehow, Naru."

"It's eventually going to happen, Keitaro, I'm quite sure. And when it does, those who attacked you like they did, or those who will probably attack you in the future, had best be quite prepared to deal with a whole pack of Senshi and/or Knights from multiple solar systems, at least, no doubt. Especially certain ones periodically led into battle by Shinobu, Motoko, and/or me, I think, for that matter. Compared to what they'll most likely have to deal with, if and whenever possible, in the future, the ways that most of us Hinatans have ever treated you quite unfairly indeed in the past will seem like mere child's play, perhaps. I just hope that when all is finally said and done as needed and as possible here in the future, there is as little innocent blood shed as possible, if any such blood is shed, during our conflicts with our future enemy or enemies, quite obviously enough. Whether it's actually Terran blood or whether it's actually alien blood of some kind, I still hope that there isn't a lot of innocent blood, if any, that is shed in the future during our conflicts with our future enemy or enemies, of course."

"So do I, then, Naru. So do I."

"I suppose we'd best get back to the Apartments, then. For I think I hear Kitsune approaching this playground here from a few blocks away," said Naru, as she helped Keitaro straighten things here as needed quite well and quite quickly indeed here. For while she'd been kissing him like she'd just done, his clothes, and perhaps even hers, were each at least a little disheveled here. Not to mention the hair on each of their heads, for that matter. She helped him with his clothes and hair, and he quickly returned the favor for her as needed and as desired by here, of course. Then they quickly left the playground one at a time. First Naru left, and then Keitaro did so, after at least another minute or two here. They each took separate routes back to the Apartments, with Naru arriving back at them about five or so minutes before he did. Kitsune spotted neither of them before they each did so, fortunately enough for them both at the current time, at least.

By the time that Keitaro got back to the Apartments, it was now just about 5:30 in the late afternoon, and most of the others were currently training with each other elsewhere on the grounds. The only ones who weren't doing so at present, though, were Makoto, Shinobu, Steve, Laura Winslow, Kaolla, Shingo, Ami, and Ryo. Makoto and Shinobu were in the kitchen and working together with each other on supper. While the other six were up in Kaolla's room with each other, for at least the time being, if not even longer than that. Laura and Shingo were both currently watching Steve, Kaolla, Ami, and Ryo working on any number of projects there together, for that matter, and getting to know more about each other at the same time as they did just that here and now.

"Shingo-san, what do you think of these other people here besides my friend Steve, by any chance at all?"

"Winslow-san, I think they're generally pretty cool. Especially the one that is between Kaolla and Ryo now, in fact. I've always liked Ami ever since I met her one day when she came to our home with Usagi, by the way. She doesn't really know that just yet, though, I think," whispered Shingo, when he saw everyone else's attention in the room besides Laura's completely focused on the projects they were all then working on together with each other.

"So what do you think they're working on, perhaps, right now?"

"Well, I think it's something to do with the Hinatans' current primary quest to somehow eventually save the lives of their manager and anyone else who might have been zapped somehow last September by some aliens of some yet-unknown sort, from what I've learned so far about all the necessary people and things here. Evidently, Keitaro Urashima, the long-time manager of this place, was somehow zapped by them on the first day of school at Tokyo University last year. And they infected him with something that's currently incurable when they zapped at least him, if not anyone else, at that time. He didn't actually know that he'd been infected with something major that's currently incurable here at that particular time until some certain length of time ago, it seems to me here and now, if I'm not too mistaken about that at all. And now, it seems that he'll have to father at least thirty or so children, if not even more children than that, either through the normal means of human reproduction or through artificial means of the same before a suitable enough cure can eventually be found, created, and/or used, somehow, from what I've learned ever since I got here a while ago. Quite obviously enough, the average human female can't give birth to that many children in her own life, so he's actually going to have to father them with multiple females, if that's true enough here, Winslow-san. Neither he nor any of the females that he might potentially have to father various children by soon enough happen to really like the idea of that sort of thing actually being quite necessary here, quite naturally enough. But they generally still accept that sort of thing may very well be required here in order for him and/or any number of yet-unknown others to eventually be saved somehow, in fact. There are currently six quite-strong candidates to actually bear at least one or two of those necessary children apiece, if not more, around here. Those young women here are currently Shinobu, Mutsumi, Kaolla, Motoko, Koushoku, and Mitsune, at least, if not anyone else as well around here. I'm not quite sure who else might find themselves having children by him later on just yet, if anyone else does so as well, eventually, mind you. But if I were to make a reasonably well-educated guess here, at least, I would say at least the six primary female tenants for this particular dormitory will have children by him in due time, if and whenever possible. If not anyone else as well, for that matter."

Shingo and Laura talked quite a bit more with each other as they both also watched the others then present in the room continue to work with each other on any number of things here. Laura was soon quite up to speed with things here, courtesy of Shingo, who was more than willing to spill what he knew to her, in return for some advice related to both Mika and Usagi, in fact. Eventually, Makoto knocked on Kaolla's door, and Shingo answered her knock, by going to it as needed here. Makoto soon told Shingo that supper was ready for everyone, and to tell the others that he was then with in Kaolla's room. Shingo agreed to do just as soon as he could, of course.

He soon passed the necessary information to Laura and the rest of his current companions, just as soon as he could do so well enough in a safe enough and easy enough manner here. Kaolla was the very first of Shingo's current companions other than Laura to sufficiently enough acknowledge the fact that supper was now quite ready for everyone downstairs in the main dining area, quite naturally enough. She soon set aside the tools she was then using, once it was actually safe enough for her to do just that here quite well enough, and then began cleaning up after herself as she needed to here, for all the obvious reasons here. The other three technologically-minded people then in her room all soon did so as well, just as soon as they each could do just that quite well enough. When every single thing they'd just been working on with each other was perfectly handled as then needed here, and actually put wherever they then had to be put at the present time, only then did they all begin to depart from the room here quite well enough, of course.

By the time that Shingo and the other five people he'd just been with in Kaolla's room arrived in the main dining area of the Hinata Apartments, everyone else was waiting for them to arrive there. Keitaro soon greeted them all, and asked, "How are things going for you all in Kaolla's room so far today, if I might ask, Ami-chan?"

"They are going rather well, it seems. Especially due to the fact that Steve and Ryo and Kaolla are all very intelligent people. True, Steve and Kaolla's various inventions have periodically been known to have problems, from what I now know of them both here, but they are all very smart individuals indeed in their respective mortal lives," answered Ami, once everyone finally began having their suppers with each other here quite well enough.

"So what do you all have to report from your scientific endeavors of this day, then, if I might ask, Kaolla-chan?" asked Shinobu, a few seconds or so later, perhaps.

"We may have somehow found a way to make it possible for many of us, if not all of us, to perhaps synchronize ourselves so that we actually do appear to be just as old as our respective mental ages are in our lives. It may require at least some of us here to grow up considerably faster, physically speaking, at least, than the average human being may normally grow in their lives, perhaps. There may be some potential major side-effects, of course, of somehow speeding up our own respective bodies' maturation processes, but if we're actually going to be able to produce healthy enough children by Keitaro here, at least, we may very well have to explore the idea at some length before we might then decide to act on it quite well enough. Mutsumi is biologically old enough to not actually require that to be done for her here and now, though, it seems, and so are Keitaro, Mitsune, Koushoku, Reika, Motoki, Sylvia, and Rolando, at least, if not anyone else who's now sufficiently enough around here as well. We all generally happen to think that anyone who's currently within perhaps two months or so of their eighteenth birthday, at least physically speaking, if not chronologically speaking, at the very youngest, won't have to actually have their own respective bodies' maturation processes speeded up at all, or at least not very much, if at all. Anyone who's currently younger than that, at least physically speaking, if not in any other ways whatsoever as well, may very well have to have that happen for them here eventually, somehow," said Kaolla, in between some bites of pizza and/or some fruit salad.

"So that means Kagome, among any number of others around here, might also be exempt from that particular need here and now?" asked Koushoku. "She seems to be within that particular age-related window here, physically speaking, Kaolla."

"Yes, from what we can currently tell here, she is within it well enough. Shinobu and I most certainly are not, though, quite obviously enough here, Koushoku."

"So you and her, among any number of others, would have to perhaps have to subject yourselves to that process, for you to actually be able to do that well enough here, then?" asked Motoko, as she briefly glanced rather unconsciously indeed towards Keitaro, without realizing it for at least a few seconds, if not for at least a minute or two here and now, while also somewhat obliviously holding a slice of pizza about two inches below her chin at the current time, for that matter.

"Yes, we would. As would you, perhaps, depending on how things might be for you later on, if not now, Motoko, in your own respective mortal life," answered Kaolla.

"So of all of us, it seems that Shinobu, you, and me, at least, of the people now staying here, would perhaps have to undergo that process before we could have children with him here easily enough?" The him most likely in question here was quite obvious to all the people in the main dining area by now, due to the still-continuing glance that Motoko was rather unconsciously sending his way here and now.

"Yes, Motoko-chan, it seems so."

"I am rather tall for my age and gender, it seems, Kaolla," said Motoko, as she suddenly realized that she'd been unconsciously glancing at Keitaro here for quite a while, even while also holding a slice of pizza under her chin at the current time. She then quickly looked at her pizza, and soon brought it up to her mouth to take a bite out of it, quite naturally enough, of course.

"That may be so, but you still haven't apparently finished growing here, Motoko-san We could be wrong about that, but we don't quite think so right now," said Steve, as he also sipped some green tea from a tall glass quite near him now.

"How close do you think I am to that point, then, Urkel-san?" asked Motoko, as she then took a bite of the pizza still in her left hand here.

"Personally, I would say at least a week, if not more than that. Perhaps not until at least September, if not even longer than that, will you actually be to that point sufficiently enough, if you don't actually undergo the particular process we're currently talking about here before then," said Steve, setting his glass down next to his plate where he now was in the main dining area.

"What would this process likely entail, then, Kaolla?" asked Mitsune.

Kaolla, Ami, Ryo, and Steve, at least, soon enlightened everyone on the potential risks and potential benefits of the process they'd just mentioned to everyone earlier here, and advised them to quite carefully consider all the potential ramifications of such a process, if they ever chose to undergo it any time in the future. That was so that if they actually might have to undergo it here in the future, they would be as well-informed as possible about it before they actually did undergo it in the future, of course. Much of supper was spent in discussing the various things that Ami, Kaolla, Ryo, and Steve had worked on with each other earlier that day, in fact. If not all of it, by the way.

* * *

Eventually, supper ended, and people began to disperse as needed or desired to various places in or around the Apartments' grounds, quite naturally enough. Mitsune and Keitaro helped several others clean up after supper, and were soon left alone in the main room with each other, just a little while, at most, after everyone else had dispersed to any number of various other places as they then saw fit to here.

They both soon found themselves on the couch with each other, and watching a Japanese-dubbed version of one of the Black Stallion movies, in due time. And both generally enjoyed it quite a bit indeed, as they then watched it there with each other. Most specifically, it was the very first Black Stallion movie that they then watched with each other. Once it was completely over, they turned off the television and rewound the tape the movie was on in very short order. With that then done quite well enough, Keitaro soon moved to go to his room, but Kitsune said, "Please stay downstairs for at least a little bit longer, Keitaro. I think I'd really like to spend at least a little more time with you here before we each head to bed, if you don't mind too much."

"Where do you suggest we do so, then, if you don't mind me asking?" asked Keitaro, as he paused briefly in his rising from the couch they'd just been sitting on here.

"Here's a good enough place for now, at least, I think. Listen to me, Keitaro Urashima. I happen to know now that the other Hinatans around here have already had their chances at you, in terms of being able to try and smooch you at least a little bit, at least once apiece. For I saw your earlier work in the sandbox at a certain playground sometime earlier, while I was still trying to find you for Shinobu, by the way. I noticed you and Naru had been there, for I still smelled her perfume lingering in the air around there, along with some of your cologne. Also, I picked up the scent of recent mingled fragrances quite near the swings and other places in the playground. I already knew of Motoko and the others besides Koushoku previously having their own chances at you, by the time Shinobu sent me out to try to find you, for that matter. It was a little bit hard for me to get Motoko to spill about her own turn with you, but she still shared just a little bit about your rather-unexpected swim near the waterfall, once I'd eventually teased her that perhaps her sister might want to visit her all of a sudden, after I'd needed to discuss at least a few other things sufficiently related to our mutual quest to save you with her at some decent-enough length. Meaning with Tsuruko, that is. Motoko then cracked slightly, and I learned a little bit about your unplanned swim, and a few things that happened after that. Not a lot of things, mind you, but at least enough to confirm my current suspicions about the two of you, just the same, Keitaro. And, no, I didn't actually have to try to slip some alcohol into a bit of tea or water she was then drinking in the hot springs, like I probably would actually have done at least once, if not more than once, before any of us ever had to deal in any way whatsoever with our current mutual situation here. In fact, I haven't had any alcoholic beverages in at least two or so weeks, believe it or not." Kitsune pulled him gently back to a seated position on the couch as she said all those things to him here, in fact. That action of hers made him sit back down on her right as he'd done while they'd both still been sitting on the couch with each other during the movie they'd just watched some length of time before.

"That's great, Kitsune. How are you feeling without all the alcohol you used to consume in the past, then?" asked Keitaro, as Kitsune then rested her nearer hand, which was her right one, on top of his own nearer hand, which was, of course, his left one, in a fairly calm manner here.

"It's still quite unfamiliar to me, at least in terms of me not actually having anything of an alcoholic nature to drink on a typical day anywhere at all, in my own mortal life. But I've not actually felt physically better than this for ages, it now seems to me here. Why I ever got myself somehow hooked on drinking just like I did is something I'll probably never fully understand, Keitaro. I wonder just how many brain or any other kind or kinds of cells I might have actually killed periodically by my drinking of such beverages by now in my life. I'm also really glad that I'm actually able to start pulling my own weight around here for once, even. I don't necessarily have to worry about various men perhaps trying to get me to stay the night with them at night, for instance, like they often did when I was still drinking like I was. True, it'll most likely be quite difficult indeed for me to remain sober, at least for a while, in my own mortal life. But I'm most definitely still going to do whatever I possibly can in order to do just that for the rest of it, you know. Hopefully, I'll never give into that kind of temptation again in my own life, of course." She then rested her gaze on the hand that her own hand was on, and thought, 'What beautiful hands you have, Keitaro. So strong and manly, yet gentle, hands these have been, more often than not, I'm quite sure. And I hope that they will always remain so, if at all possible somehow, for that matter.'

"I hope you never do so again either, Kitsune. For I'd really hate for you to die before your time is ultimately meant to come to you, if it ever does come to you eventually, somehow. Whether or not I'm actually still around here somehow in our world, of course." Kitsune began running the hand that she'd placed on one of his up and down on the nearer of his lower arms rather gently here. At least at first, anyway.

"Understood, Keitaro. But whatever's actually going to happen will still eventually happen, I'm quite sure, whether or not any or all of us like what'll eventually happen or not, you know."

"True enough, Kitsune. True enough. What else would you perhaps like to discuss with me here, then, besides whatever else you just mentioned here, if you don't mind me asking too much here?" Mitsune then moved her right hand to his left shoulder and gently rested her hand on it for at least a few seconds, if not for at least a minute.

"Keitaro, how would you feel if we girls perhaps got married to you before our trip, if it were possible for us to marry you before then?" She asked this, as she turned to face him better here, and she also took up a semi-kneeling position on the couch next to him so that her body's general orientation was parallel to the front and back of the couch as much as it could then be. That done, she then placed her left hand on his left leg just above his knee, and studied him a little bit here, quite naturally enough.

"Are you girls really keen on the idea of doing so at the same time, by any chance? I don't want to rush things here too much if I don't have to, you know." Keitaro said this as Mitsune then brought her left hand up to his stomach, as if to run her fingers across it at least a little bit, if not a lot.

"Not totally keen on it, but it might still be necessary here, just the same, it seems to me." She began to gently run her left hand's fingers at least a little bit back and forth across his stomach, and while keeping them all still above both of his current shirts here, for that matter.

"At least some of you girls here at the Hinata Apartments are still legally underage, you know. I don't really want to do anything that might actually bring any of you girls any unnecessary trouble here, of course. How do you girls feel we could actually do so quite well enough, without getting in any potential trouble with any number of various legal authorities, seeing as that is the case for at least some of you girls here and now, then?" Kitsune's fingers soon came to rest on his ribs just barely under his chest, and she then got a rather mischievous look indeed on her face here. A look which Keitaro actually missed here, due to her rather suddenly reaching past his own neck with her right hand so that it was on his right shoulder and beginning to pull him still closer to her here and now.

"Naru, Mutsumi, and I, at least, are of sufficient age to marry, if we so choose, Keitaro. Usagi's Knights are in the process of looking into certain legal possibilities that may allow more than one of us to be married to you at the same time, at the request of their girlfriends, believe it or not. They have made contact with a law firm by the name of Matomuka, if I'm not too mistaken here. The four main attorneys there are, from most senior to most junior, Kosho Matsuyama, Norogumi Toyama, Shiori Muroran, and Hidetada Kagoshima, for that matter. From what they've been able to gather from that law firm so far, there may be a way for the rest of us to work it out in a very quick manner well enough, in fact. However, it will require at least some assistance from our respective families, perhaps."

"How so, Kitsune?" asked Keitaro, as he finally noticed the fact that Mitsune's right hand had actually snaked past his neck to gradually pull him even closer to her here and now.

"For those of us girls who might still somehow be considered sufficiently underage here, it seems that we'll have to get their respective parents and/or guardians' consents for them to actually marry you well enough before they can also marry you here, if the aforementioned attorneys that I just told you about here are sufficiently right about any and/or all such things. And the sooner that we can all get them for the necessary girls here, the sooner we can all marry you, then, of course, Keitaro." Kitsune's left hand began to move towards his currently-unprotected ribs, just as soon as she was sufficiently sure that his attention was diverted well enough by her right hand and her words here.

"Who's Su's legal guardian, at least while she's here at Hinata, then?" Keitaro then tried to gently free himself at least a little bit from Kitsune's trap-like grasp on him here, but was somewhat unsuccessful here, in fact.

"Haruka, if I'm not too mistaken here. As for Shinobu, her parents still haven't fully relinquished or lost the right to veto any potential marriage match she might want to pursue in her life, it seems. For Shinobu is still not legally an adult, of course. Shinobu's parents will be arriving here tomorrow afternoon to discuss the matter, in fact, with her and anyone else who she might then want to marry in the near future. As for Motoko, her parents are sending Tsuruko here to discuss the notion of Motoko getting married to you, and vice versa, due to the fact that they're currently tied up elsewhere so much that they're not able to come themselves to discuss the matter at the moment in person. They said, once they learned about this notion well enough, that whatever Tsuruko recommended the Aoyama family's course of action should be in this kind of situation, as it actually pertained to both you and Motoko, at least, they would fully support for all concerned parties here. Whether it was to give consent to Motoko's potential marriage to you or to deny it, they would fully support whatever advice she'd then have in the necessary situation here."

"So what's that mean, perhaps?" asked Keitaro, as he still continued to gently try to get her to loosen her current grasp on him here, in fact.

"You may very well indeed get to actually marry at least four of us at one shot, and maybe at least all six of us, if not anyone else as well, even, I think, Keitaro. Depending on whether or not Tsuruko supports her sister's potential marriage to you here, and whether or not Shinobu's parents actually do the same as well, quite naturally enough. As for our dear Kaolla Su, I'm not quite sure just yet. But I still happen to think that Haruka will actually give the necessary consent to the potential marriage between her and you here if Kaolla somehow can actually make a strong enough case to do so here to her, just the same. The one of us Hinatan girls who you will most likely be the most hard-pressed to somehow win the hand of here, though, is Shinobu, for all the obvious reasons here and now, you know."

"And what of Motoko?" asked Keitaro, as he began to try to come up with a way to counter the moves that Mitsune was trying to make on him here. At least partly, if not entirely, anyway. He then did so after somehow seeing that there was perhaps no other way at present to get her to relax her current grasp on him here and now, in fact.

"I'd say at least an 85 percent chance, if not higher than that, for you to get Tsuruko's consent to the potential marriage here. Especially if and when she might ever learn that Motoko's powers might become even stronger than they have been to date if Motoko ever became a mother, for that matter." She rather suddenly poked him in his ribs somewhat gently, and eventually drew some unintentional shrieks of delight from Keitaro, much to his great surprise here, of course. She then decided to tickle him at least a little bit here until he finally decided either to give in here to her or to return the favor well enough here to her, by the way.

Several minutes or so later, at most, he then began to try and do the latter of those two things here and now, for that matter. And both of them were soon laughing quite uproariously on the couch as they then periodically poked, prodded, and teased each other on it. As even more time passed for them both on it, then, Mitsune rather suddenly indeed found herself removing both of his current shirts and beginning to lay numerous kisses of her own on his stomach, chest, arms, neck, and face. Yet she still avoided his lips entirely, for all the obvious reasons here. Keitaro accepted all those kisses from her, but didn't kiss her back, for he wasn't making a play for her here, like she was for him. And he really didn't want to escalate certain things needlessly here, if he didn't absolutely have to, considering the simple fact that he wasn't currently married to Kitsune in his life, at least, if not for any other reason or reasons whatsoever, by the way.

Eventually, Kitsune felt she'd kissed and wooed him enough for at least a little while, and helped Keitaro put both of his shirts back on again here quite well enough. With that then done well enough to suit them both here, Keitaro asked, "Why did you make your own romance-type play for me just like that, Mitsune?"

"Because I really couldn't actually think of any other suitable enough way to make my own personal play then be sufficiently different from the other girls' plays for you anywhere around this place of ours, Keitaro. I really didn't want to copy their own respective ways of making romance-type plays for you earlier. And I felt that I then had to try something that seemed at least a little bit believable from me, if and whenever I eventually did so anywhere around here, by the way. Seeing as I no longer drink alcohol, due to still-recent happenings around here, as you know, I am still quite unused to making plays for guys without the use of it. It may take me at least a little while, if not a long while, to actually know just how to woo any guy without alcohol somehow playing any possible part in my potential attempts to flirt with or woo them in my life, you see. I felt I really had to try something that seemed at least a little familiar to me, if not quite familiar to me, so I didn't actually feel totally lost, somehow, while I then tried to make my own romance-type play for you here, in fact." Kitsune soon began heading towards the main stairs here, by the way.

"I understand that better than you might currently realize here, I believe. Love and romance aren't always easy for many people to find, and it can quite often be downright confusing at times, especially when things change quite significantly indeed in a very short period of time for them, I think. We're all still trying to find emotional stability again here, due to our drastically changed circumstances, Mitsune. We're all trying to hold onto our lives as we knew them before all this junk, so to speak, came into our lives, you know. It's not going to be very easy at all for us to each find at least emotional equilibrium, though, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"I suppose so, Keitaro. I wish all this stuff didn't come to us, quite obviously enough, however. It would've been a whole lot better if it never had. Yet, it has, and most especially for you. Which just isn't right, considering all that you've ever done for us, even when we might not actually deserve it around here, I think, for that matter. I really hope that we can actually find those aliens who did this to at least you, if not anyone else as well, quite some length of time ago near here. That's so that we can all then hopefully stop them and/or to avenge those who were zapped like you were, somehow, if necessary, of course. And to also be able to eventually save those who might have been zapped just like you actually were, somehow, for sure, if and whenever possible, before it's actually too late to do just that here quite well enough." Kitsune reached the main stairs, and soon began to ascend them.

"When did you say others might be here, again, to discuss certain important matters, Kitsune?" asked Keitaro.

"Tomorrow afternoon, sometime, it seems to me. So I suppose you'll then have to stick around the grounds tomorrow at least until after you meet up with them well enough here, of course."

"Understood. Well, I suppose we'd best head for bed, then?"

"Yes, I think so. I'll see you in the morning, then, Keitaro." Kitsune began to ascend the stairs quite a bit faster than she normally did, for sleep was rapidly closing in on her, and she wanted to reach her room before it did so too well, in fact.

"I'll see you at breakfast, perhaps?"

"You can count on it." Kitsune said, just before she then finally left his sight here well enough at the current time. Keitaro watched her go, and then he too began to move towards the main stairs himself.

"So all six of them have now made their respective romance-type plays for him here?" a shadow that had secretly hidden herself behind a few large plants near the main dining area suddenly whispered to one of four other shadows who'd secretly hidden themselves in various places all around the main room without either Keitaro or Kitsune's prior knowledge. "Excellent, then. Let's just see if we can figure out who has the inside track on him well enough here and now, if we can. Come forth, Lady Aphrodite, and let's roll the dice, so to speak, in order to see what may happen here for them all, if we possibly can do just that well enough," said that very same shadow in a particular language once quite commonly spoken anywhere at all on the Moon during the Silver Millennium, at least, if not even before that time. Most specifically, it was a certain Sol System-originated language that'd often been called, simply enough, either "Lunarian" or "Moonian," at least, if not "Moonite" as well.

Another nearby shadow said, just as quietly, more or less, in that very same language from somewhere under the couch that Keitaro and Kitsune had earlier been sitting on with each other, "Let's all wait until he actually gets out of sight well enough here, first, Lady Hera. It would not be all that wise to do that before he's far enough away from us here. He can't hear any or all of us at present, at least, if I'm not too mistaken here. But if we all emerge from where we all now are, he most certainly will then see us, and all our current plans that might relate well enough to the Hinatans here could then very well go for major enough naught quite easily indeed, I think." By now, Keitaro was almost to the main stairs quite well enough, by the way.

"I don't want to wait, Lady Aphrodite," said the shadow referred to as Lady Hera, who was still hiding behind the plants she'd been hiding behind for at least the last twenty or so minute, if not even longer than that.

"Tough, Lady Hera. If that's what she recommends, then that's how we're going to proceed here, at least for the time being," said a third shadow currently hiding inside a chandelier above the couch that Kitsune and Keitaro had earlier been on with each other. Keitaro then began to ascend the stairs here, one step at a time, yet somewhat slowly, for he wanted to take a little time to do so, even as he also considered the events that'd happened to him and others that day for a while as he did so here and now.

"Lady Phoebe is right, Lady Hera," said a fourth shadow, who was currently hiding herself largely in a particular closet elsewhere in the main room, though not entirely. Keitaro was about a quarter of the way up the stairs by then, quite naturally enough.

"Lady Bellona, are you actually siding here with the blondes?" asked Lady Hera.

"As a matter of fact, I am. And I suspect somehow that Lady Athena does too, for that matter. Right, Lady Athena?" asked the fourth shadow of a fifth shadow that was now hiding somewhere near the nearest doors to the changing room that led to the primarily females-only part of the hot springs outside. Keitaro reached the halfway point of the main stairs a few seconds later.

"I quite agree with you and the blondes, as Lady Hera just referred to them both here, Lady Bellona. I recommend that we all wait to do as Lady Hera suggests until Keitaro finally is far enough away from us here, for that matter, in fact."

"Fine, then, but I still don't like this one bit, of course." Keitaro was then about three-quarters up the stairs by the time that Lady Hera said that, by the way.

"Understood," said the one earlier referred to as Lady Phoebe. The five shadows then said nothing more for about another two or three minutes, perhaps, until Keitaro was finally far enough away from where they each now were in the main room to allow them all to fully emerge from their respective hiding places in it.

Two or so minutes later, at most, then, they'd all emerged sufficiently well from each of those hiding places, and taken up seats in the main room near the television there. Once that was done sufficiently well here, the one who had been referred to as Lady Aphrodite then took out a few dice and set them on the necessary table along with two other items. She then had the fifth shadow take out a few more things, and set them on the table as well. Once Lady Athena complied with Lady Aphrodite's orders here as then needed, Lady Aphrodite had the other three Ladies place other things on the table as well, for that matter, while also putting a long multi-link metal chain and a transformation pen on it next to the dice she'd already set on it a few brief moments before.

Each of the five aforementioned shadows here was then wearing a formal gown, or at least a semi-formal gown, of some sort, in largely different colors, when they'd each actually emerged quite well enough from their own respective hiding places anywhere at all in or near the main room, in fact. One particular shadow of them now wore a gown that was mostly in various shades of blue. A second was now wearing one that was mostly in orange and yellow. A third was now mostly in white and gold at the present time. A fourth was now mostly in red and purple. And a fifth was now mostly in dark green and pink, quite naturally enough. The one mostly in shades of blue was Lady Athena, while the others were Lady Aphrodite, Lady Phoebe, Lady Bellona, and Lady Hera, respectively.

Lady Athena rather carefully placed a somewhat small sculpture of a certain rather well-known Greco-Roman mythological figure and a transformation pen on the table near a pair of winged sandals and a caduceus. And all those things were placed somewhat near the few dice, the pen, and the long chain that Aphrodite had just placed on it as well here. Lady Phoebe then put a certain transformation brooch, a wand, and a star locket on the table near Lady Aphrodite's dice, another pen, and chain. After Lady Phoebe did that well enough to suit Lady Aphrodite here and now, Lady Bellona soon dropped a third pen, a miniature representation of Olympus Mons on Mars, and a pair of earrings featuring two crossed metal swords on some sort of shield made essentially, if not entirely, of volcano-birthed rock on the table as well. Finally, Lady Hera deposited a pair of earrings somewhere on the table that were actually in the approximate shape of thunderbolts, primarily made of natural turquoise, and which were quite obviously reflecting her birth in December. After which, Lady Hera then dropped another pair of earrings, primarily made of natural emerald, that were in the approximate shape of the most common astronomical symbol for Jupiter. Both pairs of earrings were soon joined on the table as well by a fourth transformation pen, a mostly wooden bust mostly in oak and walnut of Shinozaki, and a rather ancient-looking necklace that had many beads on it of various materials somehow gathered from all the moons of Jupiter that were actually known of well enough during the Silver Millennium, at least, if not also at the current time for everyone now in their lives.

When everything was on the table as needed in a big circle of sorts, with each shadow's piles of things on it, each pile was more or less about seventy degrees from the piles flanking it on the table for that circle's circumference, in fact. Then Lady Aphrodite reached for the dice on the table, and said, as she picked them up, and as Lady Athena withdrew a small mini-computer from her subspace pocket of sorts, "Master of the Universe, hear my plea, please, and honor it, if you so choose. Please show us the number of children that each of the primary residents for the Hinata Apartments will have in the future with their beloved manager, to whatever degree you so choose to here. At least for them, anyway, if not for anyone else as well, that is. Whether or not you identify each of those children by name, please do so, Master of the Universe."

After hearing no normally-audible answer, at least, if not also a normally-inaudible one, from them, in terms of the aforementioned sentient being, at the current time, Lady Aphrodite first tossed a pair of six-sided dice here, while everyone watched her do so. She secretly selected one of the six primary female tenants somewhat at random, as she tossed the dice in question, without revealing the name of the particular tenant she secretly selected here and now for that dice roll. The dice came up with a result of ten spots on them, after which she then rolled a single eight-sided die here, so as to hopefully be able to predict the number of children that tenant might then have sometime later on in the future here well enough. The result of that eight-sided die's roll was a seven. Lady Aphrodite then had Lady Athena note the results of the two dice rolls that she just made here, and said, "These are my predictions for Tenant #1, who I will not identify at this time here, in fact. Please note them accordingly, as needed, Lady Athena. I will roll for each of the other tenants, in like manner, using numbers to identify each of them, at least for now, until I finally do decide to reveal just who I chose each dice roll result to represent here well enough, for that matter."

"Understood, Lady Aphrodite," said Lady Athena, as she noted those results as needed here for the first secretly-chosen tenant well enough on her mini-computer. Once that was done well enough to suit Lady Aphrodite here sufficiently well, Lady Aphrodite then chose another tenant to roll for here. The applicable dice rolls gave a result of nine for the six-sided dice, and a result of six on the eight-sided die. Lady Athena noted those results as needed, when needed, before Lady Aphrodite moved to the next tenant in her secret list for the order of those rolls here. The next set of rolls ended up as seven for the six-sided dice and as seven for the eight-sided die. Those results were noted as well, when necessary, by Lady Athena. Then Lady Aphrodite rolled the dice yet again here. Results of six and two came up next, with the six being the result for the roll with the six-sided dice and two for the roll with the eight-sided die. Lady Athena soon noted those results as well, when needed. The next two rolls ended up as four and four, and the last two as four and six. To break the tie between the parts of the separate results that both came up as four for the applicable six-sided dice rolls, Lady Aphrodite then decided to throw the six-sided dice yet again, for the simple reason that she didn't want two tenants to have the exact same dice rolls for them here without any potential ties being broken, at the very least, if not for any other reason whatsoever. The tie-breaking roll ended up showing a result of five on one die and one on the other. The roll of five, she assigned to the fifth tenant she'd rolled for. While the roll of one, she assigned to the sixth. Meaning, in essence, that she ultimately predicted four children for the fifth tenant, and six for the sixth, of course. Lady Athena then noted those additional results as needed here, when needed here, quite naturally enough, by the way.

Once all the necessary dice rolls had then been made here to Lady Aphrodite's sufficient enough satisfaction, Lady Aphrodite said, "Perhaps we should then wait to see who else might end up with the manager before we do this sort of thing here yet again. Gather up your things here, then, and let's all go to bed here, everyone." Everyone soon did just as Lady Aphrodite told them to here, and were all gone completely from the main room no more than five minutes or so later, as they all then headed to their own respective rooms in the Apartments, quite naturally enough.

Just before they all parted from each other for the rest of the night, Lady Phoebe asked, "Are you sure your predictions regarding the applicable tenants will be sufficiently accurate here or not, Lady Aphrodite?"

"Only the Master of the Universe knows for sure whether or not they will be. He hasn't seen fit to confirm or deny those predictions of mine just yet here, Lady Phoebe. Only time will tell for sure if they are accurate enough, and how they are, if they are, to at least some degree, if not entirely, you see. Good night to the rest of you Princesses, then, of course. Even you, sweetheart of Lord Terra, who is the chosen Guardian of the Silver Moon at present."

"Understood, Guardian of Orange Venus, who is now the sweetheart of Lord Valentine," said Lady Phoebe to Lady Aphrodite as they both parted rather warmly from each other here for the rest of the night, of course. The very last of them to leave the main room's area was Lady Phoebe, who lingered there just a few seconds, at least, longer than did Lady Aphrodite. Lady Phoebe did this here and now for the simple enough reason that she'd rather suddenly wanted to briefly look outside and see if she could see her original home world for at least a few seconds before retiring to her room for the rest of the night, in fact. She soon found that world of hers, as best as she could at the present time, and focused her gaze on it for at least a few seconds, as already stated, before turning away from the door or window that she was then seeing it through, and heading up to her own room elsewhere in the dorm for the rest of the night.

Lady Phoebe had completely left the main room for the Apartments behind by no later than 11:15 pm, in any possible case whatsoever, here. And she was quite soundly asleep in her own room no more than fifteen minutes after that time, for that matter. Just like every other sentient then on the Apartments' grounds was now, by the way.

* * *

The following morning, right after breakfast, everyone on the grounds then began to help straighten things up as much as they possibly could all over the grounds, so as to hopefully make them appear quite well-maintained here by the manager and all the tenants here on the grounds, if and whenever possible. Keitaro wasn't feeling particularly energetic today, even after Shinobu had fed him somewhat well at breakfast, so the tenants did a large majority of the necessary work on the grounds under his and Haruka's quite-watchful eyes. While she supervised the female tenants, he did the same for the male tenants, as best as they each could do that here well enough.

Eventually, the necessary maintenance work had been done on the grounds by all concerned sentients on them at present. They finished working on such work for them just about twenty or so minutes before Shinobu's parents eventually arrived on them as previously arranged by Keitaro and Haruka with them. Everyone except Shinobu's parents, Haruka, Keitaro, and Shinobu soon dispersed to other places elsewhere on the grounds not too long before Shinobu's parents arrived on them quite well enough, after Keitaro, Haruka, and Shinobu all asked them to do just that here quite well enough, in fact.

Shinobu's parents arrived on the grounds promptly at 2:30 in the afternoon. They were quickly escorted to the main room by Shinobu, quite naturally enough, after which she then went to get some tea and cookies, at least, for all five of the necessary people here. Shinobu was back in the main room no more than five minutes after her parents, Keitaro, and Haruka had each taken seats in it as they saw fit to here, in fact.

Once Shinobu returned with the necessary items, a rather long discussion then ensued here. Her parents, quite naturally enough, didn't really like the very idea of Keitaro actually perhaps having to marry multiple females in the near future besides, and including, Shinobu. They were quite upset by the idea of him perhaps having to do just that in order for him, and maybe any number of other people, to hopefully be cured of whatever he, at least, had to deal with now in his own life, of course. Haruka, Shinobu, and Keitaro all shared basically the same sentiments here about the current situation for at least his, if not also anyone else's, current situation with Shinobu's parents. Yet, Shinobu's parents were still quite skeptical here, just the same. And they both currently thought that at least one of the three people, if not all three of them, that they were now talking to here were actually trying to somehow trick them both into letting Keitaro marry Shinobu here. Once that became quite clear enough to Haruka and Keitaro here, they shot a brief look at each other, then at Shinobu, before Keitaro rather quietly asked Shinobu to find Ami as quickly as she could here. Shinobu was off in a flash once her Senpai asked her to do just that, in fact.

Shinobu's father said, "Who is this Ami you sent Shinobu to get, Keitaro-san?"

"She is the daughter of one of my doctors. And she is quite well-aware of my current condition due to often working with her mother on various things of a sufficiently medical nature." He then shared whatever he possibly could here while Ami and Shinobu were both still absent from the main room here with Shinobu's parents, as Haruka studied them both here, as well, for that matter.

Ami and Shinobu returned within five minutes of Shinobu being sent to find and retrieve Ami here. Shinobu's parents then questioned Ami here about Keitaro's current medical condition at quite some length. Meaning at least twenty minutes, with Keitaro's full consent for her to do just that, in fact. When Ami was finished doing so well enough to suit Shinobu's parents here sufficiently well, Shinobu's parents soon asked Shinobu, "Just how serious are you about potentially marrying Keitaro-san, even considering the fact that you may have to share him with other females as well in your married life with each other, Shinobu-chan?"

"Completely serious, Mom and Dad. As long as he lives, at least, I will have no other male for my husband, if I have a real choice in the matter. I would quite obviously enough prefer to have your mutual blessing for us to actually marry each other, but I still will marry him whether or not we have it from the both of you here. If either or both of you do not voluntarily permit our legal marriage to each other, I will then sue for total legal emancipation, and actually get it, in very short order indeed, for sure. Certain other law-minded people have just recently been looking into several potential courses of legal action that I could actually do here well enough, and total legal emancipation is most certainly one of them here and now, by the way. I am so NOT going to accept anything less than the full legal ability to actually marry Keitaro here from you, whether it's granted voluntarily or involuntarily, Mom and Dad. Now you both can either agree to let us marry each other, or there is a very good chance that you might not actually be able to eventually spend time with your future grandchildren, much less see or hear them, in the first place. Yes, I'm quite well aware of the fact that I'm still only 15, while he's now 22, but I am still going to marry him, with or without your voluntarily legal consent here. And perhaps in no more than a few days, even, come to think of it."

"But what if he dies, Shinobu, as you think that he will so do in the near future?" asked Shinobu's mother.

"Then he dies. But I at least want to do all that I possibly can in order to somehow make his remaining life just as pleasant as I possibly can, and perhaps even have at least a few parts of him that live on in our children with each other, Mother. Yes, I know that I unfortunately will have to share him with any number of other females around him in his life, for there is no way that I will most likely be able to give birth to or help create at least thirty children of our very own with him within the necessary time period here, of course. I really hate that idea, quite naturally enough, but I must still live with it, as do all the rest of my main associates at this place, in fact. I would do virtually anything at all to help and protect the one that I know that we all really love around here very much, most especially me, if I'm not too mistaken here and now, by the way. Even if that means I might have to ultimately share him with any number of other females or I might have to ultimately fight those aliens who actually caused him, at least, to now have the currently-uncurable condition that the aliens who zapped him, at least, then left him with last September. And I will NEVER divorce him like you did each other, for that matter. So what do you all say about this proposed marriage between Keitaro and myself?"

Shinobu's parents looked at Shinobu, and then her father asked, "Is there a place where we can converse in private with each other while we consider what you have all just said here to us, Shinobu-chan?"

"Of course. You can converse on some chairs near the primarily female-only hot springs, if you'd like, Mom and Dad. We will still be here when you come back inside, I'm quite sure."

"Very well, then, Shinobu-chan. Please see that we are not disturbed, if at all possible, while we're having our private chat with each other," said her mother.

"Agreed, Mother. Ami and Haruka will make quite sure of it, right, you two?" Both Ami and Haruka nodded no more than a few seconds later in the affirmative, of course. That done, both Ami and Haruka then set off as needed here to remind everyone else who was currently on the Apartments' grounds that the primarily female-only hot springs were completely off-limits here until further notice, quite naturally enough. Especially Ami, in fact.

That soon left Shinobu and Keitaro alone here for at least a little while, and Shinobu eventually said, "I really hope that I don't actually have to go through the process of seeking total legal emancipation from them, Senpai. But I will still do so here and now if I absolutely have to. I really love them both, of course, but I most certainly will NOT allow even them to keep us from actually getting married to each other legally enough, if I can possibly ever avoid it somehow in our own respective mortal lives in this Universe of ours. No matter how much I might actually love them both, I love you even more in my life, if I'm not too mistaken here. And I most definitely will NOT ever give you up to anything or anyone that's sufficiently mortal in this Universe, at least at the current time, without a real fight, if I can possibly ever avoid doing so at all somehow!"

"You actually would defy your parents just for me, if needed?" asked Keitaro, in between some sips of tea here and now, as he gazed briefly at her while she fiddled somewhat unconsciously with a long plastic straw then sticking out of her three-quarters-full glass of tea.

"Yes, I would, my beloved Senpai. I would quite gladly indeed do so for anyone else who actually was, or anything else that actually was, sufficiently important to me in my very own mortal life, no matter what, Keitaro. Most especially if and when it then came to you, at least, I'm quite sure, in it. It would most likely break my heart at least a little bit to do so, if not a lot, in it. But I'd still do just that, if I actually had to do just that, in my very own mortal life, in fact. Nobody is ever going to part us voluntarily from each other in our respective mortal lives without our consents if they're sufficiently mortal beings in this particular Universe of ours, if we can possibly ever avoid just that sort of thing somehow, for sure."

"Even if that means you may actually have to somehow kill them eventually, Shinobu?"

"Yes, even if I may actually have to somehow kill them eventually, you and I are NOT ever going to be parted voluntarily from each other, Keitaro, unless we absolutely have to be or want to be, in our respective mortal lives. As sure as I actually am a Maehara now in my own mortal life, I promise you this, with absolutely NO doubt at all, from the very bottom of my own mortal heart. You will ALWAYS be my first love, and nobody will ever be able to deny that particular fact in this Universe of ours sufficiently well. We may or may not spend the rest of our lives with each other, ultimately, Keitaro. But whether or not we ever do, I will NOT let anyone else but you be my own life's first, if not only, husband, in any case whatsoever. At least not willingly, anyway. No matter what others may happen to think of the idea of us actually being married to each other so young in our respective mortal lives, I still will NOT let any other male ever be my own life's first, if not only, husband, if I can possibly ever avoid doing just that somehow. You will most certainly be the one I give my own virginity to, if I really have an actual choice in the matter, somehow. Now I really don't know just which one of us will be given your own virginity later on, of course. But I really do still hope that I might perhaps actually be the one who you give it to later on, just the same."

"You are talking rather boldly indeed about such personal things here, Shinobu, when you normally wouldn't before, you know." Keitaro soon saw Shinobu place her right arm around him, and begin to pull him closer to her at the current time, by the way.

"Yes, I suppose that is true, Keitaro. But many rather important things have most definitely changed around here, as you very well know by not, for many, if not most or all, of us. Most likely, they have perhaps even changed permanently, by the way. We don't have time to waste any longer with taking it gradually between each of us, or all of us, with you, it now seems to me, if that particular fact's true enough for all of us Hinatan girls around here. So certain rather important things like just who we might each give our respective virginities to must now begin to be discussed, for instance, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"I see. You do know that any or all of the other five Hinatan girls might also want to actually be my very first young woman, right, Shinobu?"

"Yes, I'm quite well-aware of that very important fact here and now, Senpai. Now I don't obviously know just who's actually going to be your very first young woman, as you just said here to me. But, as I myself just said to you here, I really do still hope that I might perhaps actually be the one you give your own virginity to later on, just the same. Please choose just as wisely as you possibly can just who you might give it to, if you actually do ever give it to one of us, like I really hope you will, Keitaro. For once you give it, you can never get it back. Once we each give someone our virginities, we each can't get them back as well either, quite obviously enough."

"True enough, Shinobu. True enough. Are you quite certain of what you just said, at least in terms of your own personal virginity? That sort of thing is a quite permanent sort of thing, you know. I really don't want to actually take your virginity later on unless you're absolutely sure you want me to. The same thing is true for each of the others' personal virginities as well, for I really don't want to take their own virginities either if they each aren't absolutely sure that they each want me to, you know."

"I do, Keitaro. Not yet, of course, but once we finally are able to be completely alone with each other after our future wedding to each other, I want you to as soon as possible, when possible."

"I can't change your mind about this?"

"No, you can't, Senpai. For I will never let you do so, because I just love you too much to do that, if I don't absolutely have to. You are my heart and mind's chosen mate, at least for as long as you live, if not for even longer than that, for sure."

"Well, then, who am I to deny the one who definitely loves me the most in this entire place, if it can possibly ever be avoided at all, at least in that particular regard, if not any other regards as well? I definitely would be a real fool in my own mortal life to ever deny you something needlessly, Shinobu, That's if it could possibly ever be avoided at all, somehow, in our respective mortal lives, of course. Very well, if you wish me to, and if it is entirely possible, I will do just that as soon as I can, as best and as pleasantly as I can. At least for you, if not also for me, you know."

"Good, Keitaro. It will then be my honest pleasure to carry just as many of our children with each other as I possibly can ever carry of ours in the future, of course. May they all be quite as caring and quite as intelligent as their future father quite obviously is, then, if and whenever possible." Shinobu soon hugged him, even as she said all of those things to him here and now, in fact.

"And may they never lose the rather amazing sense of sheer innocence and sheer wonder that their future mother now has, no matter what may or may not ever actually happen to any or all of them or to anyone else in their own respective mortal lives, in like manner, then. No matter what they might actually each look like here well enough, as well, Shinobu." Keitaro soon returned her hug here, and they both simply held each other for at least a little while longer without doing anything else here and now in the main room.

Two minutes, at most, later, Ami briefly cleared her throat just as silently as she could to let them both know that she, Haruka, and Shinobu's parents were all on their respective ways back to the main room. They each released each other from their respective grasps. And both were sitting down in the exact same places they'd each been sitting in near each other when Ami, Haruka, and Shinobu's parents had left them alone with each other in the main room for at least a little while, if not a long while.

Ami, Haruka, and Shinobu's parents soon sat down in their own respective places in the main room, and Shinobu's father said, "You may marry each other, Shinobu and Keitaro. But there are some concerns we must still voice, even while giving our mutual consent to this proposed marriage that you seem to be insistent on with Keitaro here and now, you know. For instance, how will you young women handle certain rather personal matters with each other, as it pertains to yourselves and Keitaro, if you're actually all married to him at the exact same time?"

"We don't know that just yet, Dad, for we don't yet know just how many females will be in our rather unusual marriage configuration with each other and him here. I fully expect that at least four to six of us will be, if not more, though. Yes, it'll obviously be an issue that we'll all have to deal with, but I'm quite sure that we will somehow be able to handle it well enough so that nobody feels left out here too much. At least I hope so, anyway."

Shinobu, Haruka, Keitaro, and Ami talked for quite a while longer about several different things here with Shinobu's parents, before Shinobu's mother finally said, "I hope you're right, and that you all know just what you're getting into here with Keitaro-san, Shinobu-chan. I really don't like the thought of you ever having a broken heart in the future, you know. But if you absolutely feel you must go through with this idea of yours, then I wish you only the best, even if you do ultimately get your heart broken at least once in the future, if not more. And I really hope that you're making the right decision here for all concerned parties, just as well. Especially for you and for your beloved Senpai."

"Thank you, Mother. I will notify you just as soon as I know when the wedding will be, then, if you'd like, so that you can be there, you know."

"Of course, Shinobu. I would never want to miss my daughter's wedding, if I didn't absolutely have to. And I'm quite sure that your father wants to either, even if he and I are no longer married to each other, you know."

"Will you be there as well, Father?"

"Just tell me when and where, Shinobu, and I'll be there as needed, when needed, of course."

"Thank you, Father. Now may I get you two anything else before I go, perhaps?"

"No, I suppose not. At least not right now, anyway. If you're so insistent on this sort of thing, though, we will need to get at least some, if not a lot of, things for you before the wedding out of storage, it seems, Shinobu. We both will perhaps see you tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, then."

"Understood. Stay safe, and I hope to see you both again very soon, then, Mom and Dad."

"Of course." Minutes later, both Wakutashin, Shinobu's father, and Harahiga, his ex-wife, who were both still surnamed Maehara, each left the Hinata Apartments' grounds, and set off for wherever they then each had to go in their respective lives. After they were both far enough away from them here, Keitaro soon asked, "Who's next for us to meet here, then?"

"That would be me, I presume, would it not, Manager-san?" said Tsuruko, as she then somewhat stealthily appeared in the main room while his back was currently turned away from her, and while he was still facing Ami, Shinobu, and Haruka at the present time, at least.

"From the sound of that voice of yours, you can only be Tsuruko, no doubt. I was expecting you sometime today, but I just didn't know when, Aoyama-san," said Keitaro, as Shinobu and Ami somehow kept him from turning around just yet, for some yet-unknown reason or reasons. At least to him, anyway, if not anyone else.

"Correct, Manager-san. I am here to discuss the possibility that has come to our family's notice regarding you and my sister's potential marriage, at the very least, if nothing else as well. Do you think we could talk privately with each other before I do the same with Motoko, and then with you both?"

"I suppose so. Shinobu, would you please bring us some tea and more cookies here? Ami and Haruka-san, would you please see that we aren't disturbed for at least the next hour, if not longer?" asked Keitaro, as Shinobu and Ami finally let him turn around, and as he saw Tsuruko make a sign towards him saying that she'd like to have at least one whole hour alone with him in the main room, if not more.

"I'd be glad to, Senpai. Haruka and Ami, you both have your orders and/or requests here, then. See that they're not disturbed needlessly for at least the next hour, if not even longer than that, please." Both Haruka and Ami recognized the determination now present in Shinobu's voice here, and complied with her orders/requests here immediately, with no arguments coming her way from them about them.

Two minutes, at the very most, later, Tsuruko and Keitaro were both left quite alone in the main room for the Hinata Apartments. "I'm here to discuss the possibility that I just mentioned to you here and now, at least, as I already said. My family sent me here to consult with each of you and both of you before we ultimately stated our own familial position on the matter or matters sufficiently in question here, Keitaro. While you and Motoko may indeed become husband and wife to each other, at any time, we generally all do have at least some, if not many, concerns, at the very least, about the required matter or matters that are now sufficiently in question here, for all the obvious reasons. We may indeed endorse the potential marriage between you and Motoko here, or we may not. However, I will say this, at least,. The Aoyama family has chosen me as the decider of our family's position on this particular issue here, one way or another. What you both might say and/or do while I still am here on these grounds regarding this certain matter or these certain matters will ultimately determine what I recommend for our family's position on it or on them, for sure."

"So you wish to discuss those matters with me here and now, I take it."

"Correct, Manager-san." Tsuruko then looked at him, and said, "Any particular time that you wish to begin discussing them with me, then, feel free to start doing so."

That particular statement soon led to a rather long and mostly, if not entirely, pleasant conversation between Tsuruko and Keitaro here. As they consumed the tea and cookies, and then began to play games of chess with each other, they still continued to converse periodically with each other, quite naturally enough. After the third straight game of chess between them both here, Tsuruko said, "Well-played, Keitaro. You're getting considerably better at playing games of chess, it seems to me. This particular time you actually defeated me in one of them, somehow, instead of drawing or losing them all. Your win was rather interestingly gained, for that matter. Perhaps Mizuno-san and her young man Urawa-san have been helping you learn to play better than you often do with me?"

"At least a little, perhaps, Tsuruko. Motoko's still much better than I am in chess, for example. She can often really make her pieces dance quite well on the board, so to speak. She's as graceful as a ballerina, perhaps, more often than she once was, in terms of how she plays chess. Of course, she has also been quite often known to take the blunt-force approach to many things, as you're probably quite well-aware of by now in your own life. Chess is one of those many things in which she quite often does so, from what I've actually seen of her whenever she's played chess in my presence well enough."

"Interesting, Keitaro. And what of the others, like Shinobu, for instance, in terms of how they normally play chess, when they do?"

"Shinobu normally has played chess from a rather defensive standpoint whenever I've played games of it with her, but lately, she's begun to open up her game at least a little bit more, offensively-speaking. Especially since we all eventually learned about this current undesired, unplanned, and unexpected situation of ours, in fact."

"Okay. You've now told me how Shinobu and Motoko normally play against you, at least. Now please tell me about Su and Kitsune, then, at least in terms of how they each normally play chess with you."

"Both girls play rather craftily, more often than not, and if you're not careful enough, you're quite likely going to fall into their various traps, and quite often lose to them in their games. Of the two, I think that Su is quite often the sneakier one, although Kitsune isn't too far behind Su in that regard, perhaps. With those two, you almost never see either of them play a certain game of chess the exact same way that they've ever played a previous one. Su often plays with a lot of emotion, reflecting her currently-known core personality traits, while Mitsune is more of a subtle kind of player, than she's not, who normally lays in wait for some poor unfortunate soul to fall into her various chess-related traps, just like the fox she basically seems to be in her own life. Su often uses a lot of misdirection tactics, and has often been known to lead any or all of her various chess opponents on a real wild-goose chase, so to speak, before she then springs her ultimate plan for chessboard conquest quite well enough, whenever she possibly, can. If I didn't really know any better, however, I'd probably say they both would often do quite well in any number of chess competitions, if they ever entered any."

"That tells me about Kaolla and Kitsune, then. But what of Mutsumi and Koushoku's usual play styles?"

"Mutsumi often plays rather straightforward, when compared to either Kaolla or Kitsune, if not both. But not quite as straightforward as Motoko and Naru often do or have done in the past. She often plays a rather unorthodox style, though not always, whenever she can. She may not necessarily be as sneaky as Kaolla and/or Kitsune may be, in terms of her usual style of chess-playing. But she is still one that people must still watch out for, when it comes to playing her in chess, at least periodically, if not all the time. She has been known to essentially snatch sudden victories out of the apparent jaws of defeat, every so often, at least. Not all the time, mind you, of course, but still often enough to perhaps be considered a challenge when it comes to her playing chess with anyone in her own life. As for Naru, AKA Koushoku, she often uses a very straightforward playing style, with all the proverbial T's crossed and the I's dotted, so to speak, whenever she possibly can. She generally plays much more straightforward and much more by the book than even Motoko normally does. Very rarely indeed, will you see her ever be particular subtle with her chess-playing tactics, Tsuruko. She normally goes for a blunt-force victory whenever she possibly can. So much so, that it's often true that she's so intent on trying to get such a victory in a game of chess, that she then forgets to make rather sure indeed that her defenses are sufficiently strong at home while she's attacking her opponent's forces in a particular game of chess. It has often cost her wins, either through draws or through losses of any number of chess games."

Tsuruko considered what he'd just said about Koushoku and Mutsumi here for a little while, and then said, "I suppose they play chess quite a bit as they might normally deal with a lot of other things in their lives. Same thing with all the others that you've told me about so far here. You haven't told me yet just how Haruka plays, though, it seems."

"Haruka can be sneaky at times, but she too has a certain level of straightforwardness in her chess-playing normally. She often appears to not be very emotional when she plays, but she has been known to strike hard and strike often with little or no advance warning at times whenever she plays. She's at least a little bit like each of the tenants, I suppose, but with her own particular quirks whenever she plays, of course. Like she must often have, if and whenever possible, either some tea of some kind or a paper fan somewhat near her whenever she plays, if not both, at least, if I'm not too mistaken here, for instance."

"So who do you probably fare the best against, then, whenever you play chess with any of the others here that I just mentioned here?"

"Motoko, maybe. I seem to do the best against her, especially when her mind is at least a little distracted by other things or other people in her life. I've even secretly caught her sneaking glances at me during a few of our more recent games, without her actually realizing it, periodically. She is apparently very concerned about what might happen to me in the near future, from what I can currently tell well enough here."

"I see. Do you want me to keep that information in complete confidence, then?"

"If you would, it would be most appreciated. If you asked her, though, she might deny that was the case here, of course. At least if you did so too directly, that is, you know, Tsuruko. I would really prefer to not actually cause her any more unnecessary pain here or any time in the future, if it can possibly ever be avoided at all somehow. It's going to be sad enough for her if and when I leave, due to this, quite obviously enough. And not only her, but every other tenant of mine, no doubt, whether they're my primary tenants or my temporary ones, I'm quite sure. Do you have any other questions at this time, then?"

"No, not at the moment, at least. Very well, I will keep what you just told me about her apparent concern in complete confidence for as long as I can, if not for the rest of my life, on my word of honor as an Aoyama. Now please find Motoko and tell her I would like to speak with her for at least a little while."

"Of course, Tsuruko." Keitaro then went in search of Motoko, and found her sitting on the roof near where she normally trained, and several others were then near her on the roof watching her do a little bit of training there all by herself. Including, for instance, David. Keitaro soon told her what Tsuruko asked him to tell her sister, and Motoko left for the main room in very short order here, knowing that it wouldn't be all that wise to delay her appearance there too long, from her own personal experience.

Shinobu soon asked him, "Is everything all right, Senpai?" She did this as she sat down near him here for a little while, in fact. Keitaro soon took up a sketchbook and began to sketch her here for at least a few seconds as he thought about what he should tell her here about his private conversation with Tsuruko some length of time before.

He eventually said, "I think Tsuruko is leaning towards giving her consent, on behalf of the Aoyama family and herself, to the potential marriage of Motoko to me, and vice versa. I can't be entirely sure of that until after we both converse with her at the same time. This next part, I can't sit in on, for Tsuruko needs to talk in private with her sister before we both talk to her together for at least a little while. If Tsuruko likes what Motoko says and does in her presence during their private chat with each other, then I suppose she'll then call for me. If that's true, then I expect that Tsuruko will then converse with both of us, and see what we think we should both do with each other in the near future, then, quite obviously enough. If she likes what she sees and hears well enough from both of us, then I think she'll gladly support the notion of our potential marriage to each other. Meaning Motoko and myself, that is. Then we'd just have to wait and see what happens with Kaolla, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"So let me get this straight, if I may. You are definitely going to marry me, at least, for sure. But you don't know about any of the others just yet, right?"

"Yes, that is true. I was thinking of proposing to you all at the same time. Supposing, of course, that Haruka gives her consent to Kaolla's potential marriage to me, and vice versa. Would you object to such a proposal from me to you all, in that case, then, Shinobu?" Keitaro then began to better define the contours of Shinobu's face for the sketch he was now working on here, at least.

"No, I don't think so. Simply because it would be most logical if we're all going to marry you at the same time, then, Senpai, if I'm not too mistaken here. You can propose to each of us how you so choose, you know. Even if you might actually propose to us all at the same time, you can still do so in certain ways for each of us, if you want, I think, one right after the other."

"I'll consider that possibility. But what about your respective wedding dresses, et cetera?" He finished defining them, and then began to work on other areas of the sketch as he then saw fit to here.

"Don't worry about them. I have a feeling, somehow, that once the Juubanites get wind of this sort of thing, we'll not have to worry about them. In fact, I daresay that they'll be so happy that they might even take care of as many of the wedding preparations as they possibly can for us all, for that matter."

He then worked on the rather intricate designs on a kimono-like garment that Shinobu was then wearing in the sketch for quite a while in relative silence, if and whenever possible, as Shinobu then watched him do so here and now, in fact. It wasn't actually a kimono, by the way, but a certain kind of garment that was still much like one. And it was largely, though not entirely, covered with certain flowers that were not often, if ever, found anywhere on Earth, for that matter. At least in terms of most, if not all, of the designs then present on it, anyway. This particular garment, which was called a stakufara in Leyua's most-used planetary language, basically fell to about the middle of her shins, more or less, at its greatest extent. On her feet in the sketch were a pair of sandals with several criss-crossing semi-woven half-metal and half-leather straps that went up to just about the middle of her shins, but not quite high enough to reach the lowest point of her stakufara, in terms of where her hem ended for it at its greatest extent. Eventually, he completed the entire sketch and signed it as needed and/or desired here. That done, he then handed her the picture for her to at least look at here, and waited for her current thoughts on it.

She studied the sketch for at least a few minutes in relative silence here, as he waited for her thoughts about it here, and finally said, "Simply beautiful, Senpai. I think this is the best sketch that you've ever done of me, in fact."

"You really think so, Shinobu?"

"Absolutely. May I keep it from now on, then?"

"Of course. But may I first get at least a few pictures of it and/or you before you take it to your room as needed and/or desired, Shinobu?"

"Of course you can, my beloved. But you don't have a camera with you right now."

"No, but perhaps I can borrow Usagi's camera for a few minutes. I see her taking a few pictures of her friends and a few other people right now, in fact."

"Okay. Go ahead and ask them if you can use their camera here, then."

Keitaro rose, carrying his sketchbook with him as he did so, while Shinobu still held his just-completed sketch of her quite securely in her hands here, for all the obvious reasons. Moments later, Usagi, Keitaro, and several others came to where Shinobu was now, and took a look at the sketch he'd just made of her. Everyone else who then saw that sketch was quite astounded with the rather high level of detail he put into the sketch of Shinobu here, and soon said so, in very short order. Usagi then handed her camera over to Keitaro, and he took a few pictures of it. First with just it in the viewfinder, and then a few with Shinobu holding it up. After he took all the pictures he wanted to take of it, with or without Shinobu being in them, he handed the camera back to Usagi here, of course.

Not long after that, Motoko then returned to the roof, and came to where Keitaro was then sitting near Shinobu and several other people on it. She said, "Tsuruko wants to talk to both of us alone now, Keitaro. Everyone, you will excuse us now, if you please."

"Good luck, Motoko, if you believe in it. I know you can do whatever you want to do with Keitaro later, within reason, of course," said Shinobu.

"I see Urashima did a sketch of you a little while ago," said Motoko, as she then noticed the sketch now in Shinobu's hands.

"Yes, he did. And it's the best sketch he's ever done of me, for that matter. I'll show it to you later, if you'd like, once it's safely protected from anything that it can be protected from quite well enough, Motoko."

"I might just take you up on that offer, Shinobu-chan. Now if it's not too much of a problem for you or anyone else here, I need to borrow Keitaro for at least a little while here. Family business, you might say."

"Of course, Motoko. I'll see that you both aren't disturbed while you're talking with Tsuruko here, then."

"Thank you, Shinobu-chan."

Keitaro and Motoko soon headed back down to the main room, and sat down near each other, at Tsuruko's request, in very short order. After which, they then had a considerably long conversation with her about many different things and people then in their lives, or that might eventually become part of them some length of time later on. The entire discussion between them and Tsuruko lasted for about two hours, more or less, but not much longer than that, if at all. It finally ended, in essence, when Tsuruko said, after at least a little bit of silent contemplation here, "Permission to marry is hereby given to you both on behalf of the Aoyama family and myself, Keitaro-san and Motoko-chan. The road may be quite difficult for you both in the near future, but I believe you both can travel it quite well with each other for as long as you possibly can do just that. May the good days that lie ahead for you both in the future be much more numerous than the bad ones, as well. May your love grow ever stronger in all necessary ways, and may your pleasant memories of times spent with each other be much more numerous than the sad ones. On behalf of the Aoyama family and myself, I wish you both quite well in the future, for as long as you can both possibly share it with each other, of course. May your male children be as wonderful and handsome as their future father is, and may your female children be as strong and as beautiful as their future mother is, for that matter. This hereby concludes my statement on behalf of the Aoyama family and myself, with perhaps one particular exception. That particular exception is that I still have yet to recommend supporting your marriage to the rest of the Aoyama family, quite obviously enough. Which I don't think will be a problem, at least in terms of getting them to support it well enough, somehow."

"Thank you, sister. We will certainly endeavor to conduct ourselves as honorably as we possibly can, once we're married to each other, as I'm now quite sure that we will be, after the necessary arrangements have been made here quite well enough," said Motoko, in a rather relieved manner indeed.

Tsuruko then nodded her acknowledgement of what Motoko had just said here, and then she rose from her seat in the main room here. "I hope you all have quite a bit more time with Keitaro, then, Motoko-chan. Now, if you don't mind too much here, I must be off on certain other family-related business. I will return here in no more than 96 hours from now, for sure, with certain other things you will definitely need for your wedding and after it. Until then, I bid you both good night, if I may."

"Don't you want to stay for supper, sister?"

"No time, Motoko. Perhaps I will stay for supper the next time I come here, though. I'm sorry, but if you're going to get married soon, there are still several things that I must do before you are wed as then needed and/or desired here, you see. Good night, Motoko and Keitaro."

Tsuruko then left without either another look or word to either Motoko and Keitaro here. They watched Tsuruko leave, and when she was far enough away for her not to hear them talking with each other again, Motoko said, "Now we just have to see if Kaolla-chan will be allowed to marry you, if she really wants to. Of course, three of the others don't need to have parental consent any longer to do that, for all the obvious reasons, if they do actually want to marry you at any particular time in the near future. That, therefore, then takes care of at least two of us, seeing as I now know that Shinobu's parents have already semi-reluctantly consented to the idea of you marrying her in it. That's even given our current mutual situation with each other here and the rather radical requirements for its actual handling, if I'm not too mistaken about such things, you know."

"Do you think the others will voluntarily marry me, if they possibly can, Motoko?"

"I think so, Keitaro. Mutsumi would certainly do so most enthusiastically after Shinobu. Kitsune, she's been interested in you for a very long time as well. I think she'd also gladly leap at the chance to actually marry you, for that matter. In direct enough relation to our own Naru, though, I'm not quite sure just yet about just how she currently feels about this present situation of ours. Whether or not she really wants to actually share you with any or all of the rest of us Hinatan girls here, I'm not quite sure of yet here and now, either, come to think of it. Kaolla, though, really likes you a great deal, and I'm reasonably certain that she'd not really mind sharing you too much with the rest of us, if she could actually marry you too."

* * *

Motoko and Keitaro then talked in private with each other for at least a little while longer, before eventually going in search of Shinobu here. Shinobu soon said, once they found her near the hot springs, "I think you and Motoko should make supper for everyone, along with Makoto and Mamoru. If you listen to them well enough, and do as they suggest, I think the four of you can finish preparing all the necessary food and drink items for supper within the next hour, Senpai." She, in fact, was actually working on cleaning them with Kitsune's help here, quite surprisingly to both Keitaro and Motoko here.

"If that's what you think best, then that's what we'll do. Where are Mamoru and Makoto, then?" asked Keitaro, in very short order.

"Kaolla's room, Senpai. Makoto wanted to visit Kaolla's room to spend some time enjoying herself in it, and Mamoru wanted to check on some things that Ami, Steve, Ryo, and Kaolla were then working on there with each other, seeing as they might have at least something to do with medical-type things, if not a lot to do with them."

"Understood. Thank you for that information, then, Shinobu. See you at supper, then?"

"You can count on it. Now I'd like to finish handling all the necessary cleaning-related things here, if you don't mind too much, you two." Shinobu then playfully teased a bit of his hair here just a little, before suddenly pulling his head down and smooching him several times on his forehead, much to both his and Motoko's quite considerable surprise here.

"Point taken, Shinobu," answered Keitaro with a wide grin he usually reserved just for Shinobu in his life, though not always. She then giggled when he grinned at her just like he had here, just before chasing both Motoko and him at least partly out of the hot springs area again in a rather playful manner indeed.

"I really hope that you all can make some really good food and drink items for supper, then, Keitaro," said Kitsune, as she suddenly appeared from behind one of the large rocks then in the hot springs area.

"We'll see what we can do, Fox-girl," said Keitaro. "Though you do know that I'm not as good a cook as either our lovely Shinobu-chan or Makoto-san is, right, Kitsune?"

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Just try your best, then, Keitaro. And hopefully, everything you all make will be just fine for all concerned people here. By the way, is Tsuruko staying for supper?"

"No, she's not. She has other business she now has to attend to here, it seems."

"So what's the story with Motoko, then, Keitaro?"

"Tsuruko supports our potential marriage to each other."

"Good. That's good to hear. Now who do we still have to wonder about here, then?"

"Kaolla, Naru, and Mutsumi. For we know you'll gladly marry me, for all the obvious reasons, Kitsune."

"Of course, Keitaro. You're the sweetest guy that I've ever known. Anyone who wouldn't want to be married to such a man as you, if they possibly could be, and were sufficiently interested in you, would perhaps be rather foolish indeed, I think. Granted, most people don't actually have more than one spouse at a time, it seems, unless they are believers in Allah, perhaps, but this is not exactly a normal kind of situation for most humans, I'm quite sure."

"No, unfortunately, we're not having to deal with a typical situation that most humans might ever have to deal with periodically in their lives, Kitsune. Long ago, I'm quite sure, multiple marriages for assorted people were quite common, in many places. But they're not so common any more in this world and/or Universe of ours as they might have been, I think. At least not with at least two people sharing the same spouse or spouses at the same time, if not more than just two people, that is."

"I suppose so, Keitaro. Now I suppose you'd best be off to Kaolla's room before Shinobu gets too hungry here for some kind of fun, whatever that might be."

Keitaro glanced at Shinobu briefly, and she was beginning to lick her lips as if she was just about to begin chasing after him in a rather hungry manner. A rather hungry manner meaning like a lion that hadn't eaten for quite some time, in fact. He caught that look from her, and as soon as he realized what Kitsune had evidently meant here quite well enough, he suddenly grabbed Motoko's nearest hand and slung her over his left shoulder, before fleeing the rest of the way out of the hot springs area as if his feet were on fire.

He hurried up the necessary stairs to Su's room, with Motoko frantically trying to get out of her current position on his left shoulder, but he still wouldn't release her. Even after she suddenly got the rather crazy idea to pull up the back of the shirts he was now wearing, and begin to kiss his back, starting at his waist and working up towards his broad shoulders here.

Keitaro almost dropped her while carrying her when she then began to do so, but fortunately for all concerned parties here, somehow actually avoided doing so at all here. Though it wasn't very easy to avoid, for all the obvious reasons here. When they both finally got there, he carefully placed her on a chair somewhere in Kaolla's room, and quickly told the two necessary people what he then had to tell them each here and now.

Mamoru and Makoto soon left Kaolla's room with both Motoko and Keitaro, just as soon as they each could possibly do that quite well enough, of course. And not too much later, the four of them were all then in the kitchen area with each other and beginning to prepare all the necessary supper-related items there, for that matter. Supper took just under an hour, then, for all four of them to actually make as needed and/or desired, by the way.

Once it was sufficiently ready for all concerned parties as needed and/or desired, Keitaro sent Motoko and the others off to notify everyone else of that fact, if and whenever needed here, quite obviously enough. No matter who they just might be anywhere on or near the Hinata Apartments' grounds, he still did so, just the same.

Supper then took about ninety minutes or so for everyone to consume as needed or desired here and now, more or less. After which, everyone except Anne, Midori, Kagome, and Sango soon dispersed to various areas and/or places anywhere on or near the grounds, by the way. Those four young women, though, helped each other clean up right after supper as necessary, and conversed at least a little bit with each other as they then did so.

* * *

Anne soon asked, "Kagome, what do you think of Keitaro here, by the way?"

"I think I like him at least a little bit, if not a lot, already, Anne. I wouldn't mind getting to perhaps know him quite a bit better, if at all possible. Though things don't look too good for him at the present time in his own life. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering, that's all, Kagome."

"Are you perhaps interested in him at least a little bit like several others around here seem to quite seriously be, then, Anne?" asked Kagome, as she washed some dishes here as needed, and as Midori dried them as needed.

"Truthfully, maybe at least a little. However, the idea that he may need to actually have a lot of children in order for a cure to be found for what he, at least, may now have seems quite far-fetched indeed to me here, Kagome. At least it does so right now for me here, anyway." Anne was then putting away at least some of the food and drink items left over from supper as needed, if not all of it, by the way, at the current time. Midori silently began to periodically put various items wherever needed in the kitchen, not too much later, of course.

"Yet, you wouldn't perhaps mind having children with him, somehow, if the need ever arose for you to do that here, or the desire ever did, would you, Anne?" asked Sango, while handing some more dirty dishes to Kagome for her to wash as needed here.

"I'm not quite sure just yet, if I'll ever be, if I would mind that or not in my life, Sango. What about you?"

"If the need or desire ever arose for me to do just that, then I suppose I'd do that. Miroku might not like it much, if at all, though, at the very least." Sango frowned slightly as she said that here, which soon led Anne to ask her another question of Sango here, quite naturally enough. Midori silently continued to put away various now-washed and now-dried items as needed, after getting them from Kagome as necessary, of course.

"Is he actually your boyfriend back in the past, Sango?" asked Anne.

"No, I wouldn't actually consider him that, I think. More like a male friend who I often associate with in my life, than a potential boyfriend of mine, if I'm not too mistaken here, Anne," said Sango, as she then handed Kagome the last of the dirty dishes from supper here as needed.

Kagome washed them, and then asked Midori, while handing them all to her as needed here and now, "What are you thinking of right now, if I might ask, Midori?"

"I'm wondering whether or not this is a timeline in which I end up at least temporarily with Keitaro in at least one way, if not more than one. If it is, I may very well find myself having at least one child by him, somehow, I think, Kagome. Although I really don't know what my friends and relatives would actually think if that became the case for me here, for all the obvious reasons here, of course."

"Would you mind bearing him at least one child, if not more than one, if it was the case well enough here, then, Midori?" asked Sango.

"I'm not sure just yet, if I ever will be, Sango. What would your associate Miroku actually think of a situation like Keitaro's, perhaps?" asked Midori.

"If Kagome and I know him quite well enough in our respective lives, he would probably think he was truly in paradise with all the young women now around here, no doubt. Supposing that he were somehow here with us all right now, Midori. Right, Kagome?"

"That's right. He's almost always trying to chase girls and young women whenever we're traveling in search of any number of jewel shards back in the Feudal Era, Midori," said Kagome. You see, he's living with a curse placed on his family by a certain evil being, and if we don't defeat that evil being in time, somehow, the curse will actually kill him, just like it killed his grandfather and his father. If we can't defeat that evil being in time, then Miroku will die. Miroku flirts with many females hoping that they'd agree to bear his child or children, just in case he doesn't actually live long enough to see that evil being defeated somehow."

"And if he does father any number of children, and if he's no longer able to fight that evil being, then what?"

"Then they will take his place as fighters against that evil being, I presume, once they're old enough, and he's no longer able to fight that evil being, for whatever reason or reasons whatsoever."

"So let me get this straight here, if I can, Kagome and Sango. Miroku's situation is much like that of Keitaro's here, by the way?"

"Yes, it is. Both have a certain amount of time left to them with certain current conditions of theirs for each of them that could very well prove quite fatal to them and/or many others, if not dealt with well enough in a timely enough manner, Midori."

"What condition does Miroku have now that could prove fatal to him soon, if not dealt with well enough in a timely enough manner, Kagome? I already know at least a little bit about Keitaro's here, of course," said Midori, as she put away the last of the dishes that she'd just dried here.

"Miroku has a curse inherited in his paternal line that has left him with a tunnel of sorts in his hand. When it is uncovered during a typical battle, he can unleash the power of a black hole to suck up anything or anyone that is in front of it, no matter what or who it is. Every time he uses it, though, that tunnel of sorts grows. If it grows too much, too quickly, it will eventually kill him, for it will eventually suck him into it as well, Midori."

"I see. So you and the rest of your associates have to find a way to defeat this evil being somehow well enough to save Miroku, I take it. How do the others in your usual traveling group actually fit into your quest to defeat this evil being, then, Kagome?" asked Midori.

"Ginkuro is the primary swordsman, if you will, of our group. I mainly use a bow and arrow, whenever we fight various minions of this evil being or whenever we periodically tangle with him during our main traveling group's travels in the Feudal Era. Miroku is a monk who is much like both Rei's Grandpa and mine each are, at least in terms of their usual personal habits in their respective lives. If Koushoku were to meet him, she'd probably react to him in much the same way that she evidently reacted initially to Keitaro's presence here, if not entirely in such a manner. Especially if he actually flirted with her like he has quite often been known to do in the past whenever we've somehow been around him quite well enough. However, he's not the caretaker of any particular temple or shrine for our group, unlike Rei's own Grandpa and mine. Her Grandpa runs the Hikawa Shrine, while mine runs the Higurashi one. Sango is what you might perhaps call a demon-slayer, in essence, much, if not most, of the time. Shippo is still a rather small boy who normally travels with us whenever we travel around looking for jewel shards in the Feudal Era. And Kilala is a shape-changing cat of a sort who travels with us as well. There are any number of other people or beings that we often also associate with either in the past or the present, from time to time, if and whenever necessary, for that matter."

"Like who, for instance?" asked Anne, as the four young women eventually began leaving the kitchen area behind again for at least the next hour or so, if not even longer than that, here and now.

"Like Kikyo Musashi, who Ginkuro has as a girlfriend in two time periods, if memory serves me well enough here and now, for instance, Anne," said Sango.

"I don't understand," said Anne, in very short order, as they all eventually decided to hit the hot springs with each other for at least a little while before heading to each of their respective rooms and beds in the Apartments for the rest of the night.

"It's this way, according to Kagome, if memory serves me well enough here. She says that the Kikyo in the Feudal Era, as she terms the particular time period that Miroku, Shippo, Kilala, and I all evidently come from in our own respective mortal lives, is perhaps an ancestor, somehow, of the Kikyo Musashi now present in her own time period. Which is this one, as you can probably guess. She also says that Ginkuro actually comes from her own time period and that they met each other in what she called a city park of some sort. Eventually, they somehow found themselves both in the past, from their own perspective of chronological time reckoning, and began hunting for jewel shards with each other. It was a while before they began to meet up with the rest of us in their usual traveling group, starting with, if I'm not too mistaken here, either Shippo or Miroku. Later on, they found both Kilala and myself, and we both joined them not too much longer after that happened. Ever since, we have all continued to hunt periodically for jewel shards with each other, hoping to gain enough sufficient control over them before our enemies can. No matter who or what they might be, in fact, Anne," said Sango, once all four of them were alone in the hot springs with each other well enough here.

"Just how far along are you all in that particular quest, perhaps, then, Kagome?" asked Midori.

Kagome looked at the partial Shikon no Tama that she normally wore around her neck whenever possible, for at least a few seconds, and soon said, "Our part of the Shikon no Tama is perhaps about 64 percent complete, if I'm not too mistaken here. Whenever we find and collect jewel shards, wherever and whenever possible, I then purify them to the best of my ability to do just that somehow. I'm not always completely successful in that regard, however, mind you. But I am usually able to sufficiently purify shards so that they can then be fused into the part of the Shikon no Tama that we might have under our current control at a particular time quite well enough."

"How do both versions of Kikyo figure into this quest of yours to completely reunite the numerous shards of the jewel and/or defeat the evil being that you're each seeking to utterly defeat before it's too late to do just that for any or all of you, then, Sango?" asked Anne.

"It seems that Kikyo is a priestess in both time periods, as is her sister Kaede, who was the one who gave Kagome the necklace that now sits around Ginkuro's neck all the time, in fact. Kikyo's loyalties are currently divided, it seems, in either time period, according to Kagome, Anne. We are not exactly sure just what side either version or both versions of hers will ultimately find themselves standing on well enough, when all is finally said and done as needed and/or desired here, for that matter. She could ultimately prove to be a sure-fire ally, or a sure-fire enemy, in either time period, if not both."

"Which version of Kaede gave Kagome the necklace that Ginkuro always wears, then, Sango?" asked Midori.

"The past version of her did so, not the one from this time period, Midori," said Sango. "That's according to both Kagome and Ginkuro, by the way."

"So what do you think of this time period, in relation to your own, then?" asked Anne.

"This particular time period of Kagome's has a lot of things in it that I don't understand, and probably never will fully understand, I think, Anne. While it is rather interesting, in many respects, I admit, I still don't think I can fully fit in here rather well indeed. I always wondered, though, why Kagome often wanted and wants to come to come back to her own time period every so often. I believe I have at least some idea why now, but not totally. It's because she wants to deal with many things that are much more familiar to her than things in the Feudal Era, as she often calls my time period, are so far in her life."

"Yes, that's essentially right, Sango. I generally feel more at peace with a lot of things and people in my own mortal life, whenever I'm in this time period, than I often do whenever I'm in your time period. Yes, a lot of things are much more complex in this time period than they are in yours, but I'm still much more familiar with this time period than I am with yours. And there are many things in this time period that I can experience and use that I can't actually experience and use in yours, if I'm not too mistaken here," said Kagome. "Also, in this time period, it's not only the boys who are able to be educated about any number of important enough things in this world and Universe of ours. Girls can be too, and I think that it's much better for our world and our Universe than the way things are most, if not all, the time in your time period. We females also don't necessarily have to put up with certain things in my time period that many males might often do and say in your time period, for that matter. While I'm not saying that things are necessarily better for females all over the world in various places, things are generally a lot better for them in this time period. A lot of things have changed between your time and mine, by the way."

The four young women conversed with each other about any number of things over the next twenty or so minutes in the hot springs until Midori eventually said, "I think I'd best get to bed soon, for I feel sleep beginning to head my way now at a rather rapid pace, if I'm not too mistaken here." It was now just about 10:30 at night, perhaps, when she said that rather unexpectedly indeed here, in fact.

So the young women soon climbed out of the hot springs and went back inside as needed here, not saying much more to each other for the rest of the night when they did so. It wasn't very long at all before each of them was quite soundly asleep in their respective beds anywhere in the Apartments, for that matter. And so they slept.

* * *

While they were still heading towards their respective rooms elsewhere in the Apartments, then, Keitaro was then in the kitchen area having a fairly decent and fairly private conversation with Kaolla over a pair of banana splits with multiple bananas per split that he'd chosen to make for each of them as bedtime snacks here. At the moment, they were currently discussing a particular conversation that Kaolla had shared with Haruka not long after supper had ended for everyone who'd actually partaken of it that night.

"You know, Keitaro, I wasn't quite sure that Haruka would agree with a lot of what I said to her when we talked after supper with each other. She surprised me by agreeing with a lot of it, in fact. I was quite fully prepared to pull out all the stops in my attempt to convince her to let you marry me, but I didn't need to go as far as I thought I might, it seems to me. She still has some rather valid concerns here, in regards to various people and/or things that we'll most likely then have to deal with here to at least some degree, but she will not ultimately stand in our way, if we do decide we're fully willing to accept the likely consequences that might follow a potential marriage between you and me here in the very near future. I have already told her that I want no other for my husband at this time, at least, if not forever, so she says that it's entirely up to you whether or not we marry. She will support us as best as she can no matter what you decide here, in any case whatsoever, by the way. Whether you choose to marry me or not, she still will do so, just the same."

"I see, Kaolla-chan. And if I asked you to marry me, then would you most likely accept, even given the fact that you'd actually have to share me with any number of other young women in the near future?" Keitaro took a bite from his banana split not more than a few seconds after he asked her that question here.

"Sure would, Keitaro. Granted, it's not particularly common any longer in most places elsewhere in this world, but, still, I wouldn't mind sharing you with others, perhaps. Depending on who I'd be sharing you with, of course."

"So the way is clear for me to marry you, if I so choose?"

"At least from Haruka's standpoint, it is, anyway, Keitaro," answered Kaolla, in between bites of her own banana split here.

"And what of the legal aspects of that potential marriage of ours, then?"

"The Juubanites are handling it as best as they can with some help from a few of their associates, if I'm not too mistaken here at all."

"So I heard from Kitsune earlier, Kaolla."

"And do you think they'll be able to make it legally possible for you to marry us, and vice versa, somehow?"

"I'm not sure. However, I wonder how we're all going to handle having so many children around here once they come, if you all can marry me, somehow, Kaolla, as I'm sure they will, for the obvious reasons."

"We'll deal with that sort of thing as needed, when needed, I think, Keitaro."

"What if you have to fight while you're carrying any potential children that I might have with you girls, at least?"

"Then we'll fight, of course, as needed and as possible. Sure, it probably won't be all that easy for us to do just that, somehow, for all the obvious reasons, but we'll do what we can, if and whenever necessary and/or possible, you know, Keitaro."

"Even if you're carrying my children for at least six to nine months at a time?"

"Of course, Keitaro. We're not going to let them destroy or damage this place any more than we absolutely have to do just that, quite obviously enough. Even if we have to base ourselves underground for a time where they can't reach us, or go elsewhere in this world to draw them away from here well enough, somehow, we'll do all we can to protect this place and the area around it as best as we possibly can, whenever we possibly can. No matter what the cost might be for each of us."

"And if this place or this local area gets hit rather hard by our future enemy or enemies, then what?"

"We'll repair or rebuild it, if we have to, of course, Keitaro. That's if we possibly can do just that somehow, quite obviously enough."

"Are you girls all scared of what might happen in the near future, whether or not I'm still around here somehow, Kaolla, by any chance at all?"

"Truthfully, perhaps at least a little. But we're still going to do all we can to protect this area as best as we can, you know, Keitaro. Whether or not you're still here with us when we do. And whether or not we've each come fully into our respective Senshi or Knight-type powers, for that matter. Granted, we'd probably each have to become parents for that to happen well enough for us all. At least in terms of those of us who'd be serving as members of the Hinata System's Senshi and Knights team. But that's not as much a concern to us as our potential enemy or enemies might concern each and every single one of us on that team at the current time to a sufficient enough degree, if I'm not too mistaken here, somehow."

Eventually, Keitaro and Kaolla finished their respective banana splits and put the related dishes and silverware and toppings back wherever they then needed to be here. "In any case whatsoever, though, Keitaro, we'll still do all we can to protect at least this area, if not anywhere else at all in either our world or the Universe, I'm quite sure. No matter whether or not we might have allies of our own to help us in any number, if not all, of our future battles against our future enemy or enemies, for that matter. Good night, Kei-Baby. I think I'd best either do some more work on at least one of my work projects or go to bed in very short order, come to think of it. I'll see you at breakfast in the morning, then, I suppose. Right, Keitaro?"

He nodded, while also saying, "I hope so. If you see Shinobu, please tell her that I'd like her to make a decently-sized birthday cake for Usagi tomorrow, for it's Usagi's birthday tomorrow, if memory serves me well enough here. Also, please tell her that I might want pancakes and eggs and juice for breakfast tomorrow, perhaps sometime around 7:30. I have a few fairly early appointments in various places, including Tokyo, by the way, and I really would like to be out of here by no later than 8 in the morning, at the very latest, if at all possible."

"Understood. I will let her know those things as soon as possible, then, of course. Sleep well, Kei-Baby."

"I hope so, Su. I really hope so, of course."

Then Kaolla quickly left him alone again in the kitchen area, where he remained for at least a few more minutes in relative silence. He eventually decided to visit Koushoku in her room for a bit, and rather quietly knocked on her door not much later, once he was sufficiently outside her door well enough.

"Who is it?" asked Koushoku, who was then wearing a pink and gray-striped T-shirt under a light blue denim overalls-style dress, while also sitting at the table in her room and reading for a little while from a manuscript that Motoko had asked her to look over earlier that morning right after breakfast.

"Keitaro, Koushoku. Mind if I come in and talk with you for a little while, at least?"

She thought about the idea of him visiting her for a few seconds, and then thought, "I wonder what he wants to talk to me about?" Koushoku then rose from where she'd been sitting near her table, with Motoko's manuscript in hand, stashed it in a certain compartment for a particular drawer of her dresser, and went over to the door, not long after doing that here and now. Seconds later, once she felt her appearance was sufficiently presentable here, she let him into her room here.

"What do you want to talk about, then, Keitaro?"

Keitaro soon told her. By the time that they finally finished talking with each other well enough at the current time, at least another fifteen minutes to half an hour had then gone by sufficiently well here, if not more. Koushoku eventually said, "Good, Keitaro. While I really hate this idea of you having to father so many children by multiple females, as you and everyone else around here probably already knows, I would rather have you with us for a very long time into the future, if at all possible. Granted, at least a few of us, myself unfortunately included, haven't always treated you fairly enough around here, when necessary. But you have nothing more to really fear from me here and now. Especially when anyone might consider the simple fact that you didn't actually deserve to be zapped like you were, and like any number of others may very well have been, sometime last September, you know. Yes, Keitaro, sometimes you perhaps did deserve what you periodically got from at least a few of us, but you most definitely didn't deserve all the terrible treatment that most of us normally would give you earlier. Yet all that pales quite considerably indeed, in direct comparison to what those cowardly aliens quite unexpectedly did earlier to at least you, if not anyone else at the same time, when they did it to you, of course."

"I suppose so. Well, I suppose we had best both get to bed as soon as we possibly can, then, Koushoku."

"Agreed, Keitaro." Naru soon shooed him gently out of her room again through its main doorway, but not before rather unexpectedly planting just a few light and brief kisses each on both the palms and the backs of his hands and wrists, in fact. After doing that, she then gently shooed him out of her room, and he soon went to his own for the rest of it, quite naturally enough.

On his way there, Kitsune thought about briefly delaying him herself for a little while, but soon discarded the idea, once she saw him passing by her slightly-ajar door in a rather tired manner. So she let him be at the current time, for she didn't want to do anything at present that might not help him or anyone else all that much at the current time, for all the obvious reasons here.

Keitaro barely managed to get fully changed into a pair of brown pajamas before flopping down on his futon, and falling quite soundly asleep almost instantly, once his head hit his pillows on that futon. He would probably remain in that place for at least the next few hours, if not even longer than that, of course, then and there. And so he slept.

* * *

Several hours later, then, Keitaro's alarm clock went off at about 7:15 or so in the somewhat sunny morning of June 30, 1993. He woke up almost immediately, once the sound of its alarm reached his ears quite well enough from where it was near his bed in his room. A few seconds after he did so sufficiently well, the rather wonderful smells of pancakes and eggs being made and the sounds of juice being poured reached his nose and ears, respectively. He quickly grabbed a change of clothes, a few of his personal grooming supplies, and then hurried to the nearest bathroom with a shower in it. Whereupon he took a very quick shower indeed before dressing and heading downstairs to get at least himself some excellently-made breakfast from Shinobu in a very short period of time.

He sat down and pleasantly talked with Shinobu as he consumed his breakfast, and she soon asked, "May I perhaps ask about your plans for the day, to at least some degree, if not entirely, Senpai, by any chance at all?"

"I have some business I must attend to at least in Tokyo, if not anywhere else at all, if we're going to be able to do the things that we might want or need to do in the near future, Shinobu-chan. I don't know just when I might be back today, though, in truth. Depending on how long it takes for me to attend to those things, I could be back by noon, or I could have to stay away from here for most, if not all, of the remaining daylight hours for today, at least."

"Please try to be careful while you're out and about today, Senpai. Last night, I rather unexpectedly heard on one or two of the newscasts from the Tokyo area that there was evidently at least one, if not more than just one, quite good-sized battle between some rather strange monsters and some yet-unknown fighters near UBGES, at least, if not anywhere else in the general Tokyo metropolitan area then. The still-unidentified fighters actually managed to fight off the rather strange monsters somehow, but the various news outlets weren't actually able to somehow find out just who they were well enough. Or just who actually sent any or all of the various rather strange monsters those yet-unknown fighters had just fought a little while earlier, for that matter. They generally did wonder quite considerably just where their usual protectors were, though. Meaning the Sailor Senshi and/or Knights from Usagi's team, at least, of course."

"I see. Will do, then, Shinobu, to the best of my current ability, of course," said Keitaro, as Shingo suddenly popped into the dining room area followed by Kaolla and at least a few other people. None of which included Usagi here, by the way.

The others besides Kaolla who entered the main dining area at just about the same time as Shingo did were Mika, Rei, Minako, Luna, Artemis, Mamoru, Kohaku, and Yuuichirou. Everyone else was either still asleep or otherwise occupied elsewhere on the grounds, seeing as it was still not even 8 in the morning, for all the obvious reasons here and now. Motoko, for instance, was then practice-sparring with Makoto, at least, on the roof, with both young women in their usual training gear as mere civilians, and they'd both be down later for their own breakfasts when they were hungry enough for them then. Shinobu and Shingo briefly glanced at each other without everyone else's current notice, and then Shinobu quickly dished out several good-sized plates of pancakes and eggs, at least, if not of anything else as well then. Most especially when it came right down to one extremely-hungry Kaolla Su here and now, quite naturally enough.

Shingo soon asked Keitaro, "Rei, Minako, Mika, and I, at least, would like to return to Tokyo with you for at least a little while. We have some things we'd like to attend to there for a while, and we'd all really like to accompany you back there for a while, if we possibly can, you see."

Keitaro thought about that for about a minute or two, and then said, "If you can all be sufficiently ready to go before 8 comes and goes here quite well enough, then I'll let you accompany me there today. If not, then I won't, Shingo. Simple as that. I am on a very tight schedule today, so I can't waste any unnecessary time in having to chase after you all if you come with me, you see."

"Understood, Keitaro-san. We just need to catch a ride to Tokyo, and we'll then separate from you for at least a little while so that we can do whatever we each have to do there. Whether you're with us or not, for that matter, that is. And perhaps we might even be able to ride back here with you when we're all done with whatever we then have to do in the Tokyo area, of course."

"That sounds reasonable enough. Any of you who might want to actually travel to Tokyo with me here and now has no more than twenty minutes to have their respective breakfasts and be sufficiently ready to then accompany me on the necessary train ride to Tokyo here, Shingo. I will be departing from here no later than 8, in any case. So you must each be ready by then, or else I'm leaving without you." Keitaro soon rose from his current seat in the main dining area, and went to his room for at least a few minutes, if not more than just a few, for all the obvious reasons here, quite naturally enough.

Shingo, Rei, Minako, Mika, Luna, and Artemis, at least, then hurried as quickly and as safely as they possibly could through their respective breakfasts here, and were all sufficiently ready to accompany Keitaro back to Tokyo for at least a little while before he left the Apartments behind again. They all caught the same train he did to there, and eventually parted from him as the need or desire for them to then do so well enough arose for them all. Keitaro parted from them near the train station, after which, he went about his own business, and they did so on theirs.

Shingo, Rei, Minako, Mika, Luna, and Artemis eventually came to just where there was going to be a certain anime/manga-related convention that Shingo had mentioned some length of time earlier to them all. And it really wasn't too long at all before all the necessary things were sufficiently enough arranged as then needed for it here and now. At least in terms of just how they might eventually involve at least Usagi, if not anyone else as well at the same time, in fact. The necessary arrangements, at least for the most part, if not entirely, were somewhat expensive indeed, as Shingo had earlier expected them to be. But he still thought, at least generally, if not totally, that they were well-worth the money such arrangements then required here and now. He also hoped that Usagi would really like that anime/manga-related convention and the arrangements that he and his friends had just made in relation to it, of course.

The six of them then attended to several other things in the local area, whatever they might then be, even dropping by the Crown Arcade for a little while as they did so, for that matter. They talked for at least a little while with Unazuki as they did so, and told her how things were actually going for them at the Hinata Apartments' grounds, if and whenever possible, of course. Quite naturally enough, though, they couldn't tell her everything that'd been going on there, for the obvious reasons, but they still told her at least a little bit about various things that'd happened to them and others then with them while they'd been staying in them, for sure.

Eventually, the six of them left the Crown Arcade behind, and continued to attend to whatever other things they then wanted or needed to attend to in Tokyo before they'd have to return to the Hinata Apartments for the rest of the night, by the way. They met back up with Keitaro by 5:30 in the late afternoon near the train station they'd parted from each other at earlier in the day, and they were all on the necessary train back to the Hinata Apartments' area by 6 pm, in any case at all here. The ride back to the Hinata Apartments' area was rather quiet for them all, and they said very little, if anything, to each other while heading back there with Keitaro.

They arrived back at the Hinata Apartments by no later than 7, in any case, and soon parted as needed or desired for at least a little while before supper. When they got in, Usagi and several others were then either playing various games or watching television with each other, for instance. Others were otherwise occupied in various other places on the grounds, quite naturally enough. For example, both Makoto and Shinobu were working in the kitchen with each other on supper and a few other things that mainly had to do with Usagi, due to the simple fact that it was now her birthday here.

Keitaro and the others soon went to their respective rooms anywhere on the grounds for a little while, at least, and generally stayed there until they were each summoned for supper by both Makoto and Shinobu as then needed or desired here by them. When they showed up for supper, they, of course, brought their various birthday gifts for Usagi along with them, if at all possible. Especially Shingo, quite naturally enough.

Supper was a moderately pleasant affair here, more or less, and much conversation was shared by many of the people who actually showed up well enough for it at that time. Including, in fact, Haruka, Seta, and Sara, for instance, if not any other people who didn't normally show up there as well, by the way. Once supper was sufficiently over with then here, including the inevitable desserts such as cake, for instance, Usagi soon began to receive certain birthday gifts from many of those who were still present here in the main dining area for the Apartments.

When she saw Shingo's gift, she literally shrieked in sheer delight, and said, "My, my, my, Shingo. I think this is the best gift you've ever gotten me so far. Thank you very much! I wonder if you thought this up all by yourself."

"Sure did, big sis! I couldn't pay all the necessary costs for it well enough, though, and I'm still not old enough to arrange this sort of thing all on my own, so I had at least a little help from various other sentient beings here, I have to say. Just who they are here and now, however, I can't actually say, Usagi. For I promised not to reveal directly, at least, if not also indirectly, who actually did so with me while we were still arranging this sort of thing for you. Yet, it was all my idea, just the same. I thought that because you aren't very likely to actually want to stay in Japan to go to college after you graduate from high school, and that you might not be here in Japan when your next birthday rolls around for you, if I'm not too mistaken here, I should try to do something rather memorable to acknowledge that potential fact here. Hence my idea to send you to an anime/manga-related convention in the near future, if at all possible, seeing as I know you really like quite a lot of anime and manga series, if I'm not too mistaken about such things in either of our own mortal lives, if not both of them."

"That's true, Shingo. What do you think Mom and Dad will say when they find out about this sort of thing, then, by the way?"

"I have absolutely no idea, Usagi. I suspect very strongly, though, that they will be quite surprised indeed, for all the obvious reasons, of course."

"I do believe you're quite right, Shingo. How long do you think it will be before we can keep them from finding out about it well enough, then?"

"Hopefully forever, for they would be so mind-boggled if they ever found out, perhaps, Usagi. At least I think they would be, anyway."

"Then let's both just try to keep them from finding out well enough about this, Shingo. Okay?"

"I'll do my best. But I think you'd be the easier one of us for them to learn about it from, for all the obvious reasons here, just the same, Usagi. Not picking on you here and now, of course, but you often talk much more freely about a lot of things than I generally do, you see."

"That's true, I suppose. But this is one secret of ours that I fully intend to keep for as long as I possibly can, then, Shingo, for all the obvious reasons here."

"Just like you and your allies did so for at least your battles with the Dark Kingdom earlier, if not even longer than that, Usagi?"

"Yes, but when did you actually learn about us being either Senshi or Knights, at least in some cases, then, Shingo?" asked Usagi.

"About the time that Chiba-Usa came to us, more or less, if memory serves me well enough here, Usagi. If I remember well enough, several of you were present during one of the Dark Moon Family's attacks near my school, and I saw several of you transform into Senshi or Knights without your knowledge during one of those attacks. It wasn't too much later before my mind made the inevitable connections between several of your combat identities and several of your civilian identities. From there, the rest of you generally were easy enough to identify in either your combat states or civilian states of being. Especially when the simple fact that certain animals were quite often near many, if not all, of you in either state of being. Most especially a certain black cat and a certain white cat, of course."

"I see. Then just how were you actually able to hide your knowledge of our double lives well enough, if I might ask, Shingo?" asked Usagi.

"It wasn't too easy for me to do so, of course, but I somehow managed. I don't exactly know why, but I still do know that I did so, just the same."

Everyone conversed with each other for quite a while until at least 9 in the evening, if not even later than that. here and now. After which, they all eventually began to disperse to various other places on the grounds. Whether it was by themselves, or with other people accompanying them to those places, they all still did so, eventually. The last two of them to part from each other for at least a little while, if not for the rest of the night, were Haruka and Keitaro, by the way. Just before Haruka left Keitaro alone in the main room, where the birthday party had eventually moved to after supper, she slipped him a brief note she'd taken down during a rather unexpected call for Keitaro to her Tea Shop while he'd been away from the Apartments for quite some time earlier that very day. Keitaro took that note, and as soon as he was sufficiently alone again in the main room as needed and/or desired here, he then picked up the nearest phone and called the number provided in the brief note here for him.

He talked for at least the next ten minutes or so with several people at that number, and learned that they would be arriving the following day by no later than 1:30 or so in the afternoon, most likely. And specifically from Tokyo, by the way. Keitaro soon agreed to meet with them as needed for as long as needed, and then hung up the phone on his end once they'd done the same on their end. That done, he soon summoned all six of his primary tenants, at least, to the main room for at least a little while, if not a long while.

Keitaro soon briefed them all on the conversation that he'd just had with the four people who'd actually called for him earlier while he'd been away from the Apartments attending to various urgent matters of his. After which, Shinobu asked, "So we're evidently all going to be allowed to marry you legally enough, if I get your drift well enough here, Keitaro? If so, then just how soon can we perhaps do it?"

"Tomorrow night, at the very earliest, I think, if I'm not too mistaken here, Shinobu-chan."

"And the latest, Kei-kun?" asked Mutsumi.

"Perhaps not too long before we have to leave on our round-the-world trip, I presume, Mutsumi-chan."

"So what you're saying is that this might be the last night we all might actually spend as unmarried girls or women, then, Urashima?" asked Motoko, quite sternly, as was often her wont whenever she'd ask him something that was sufficiently important to at least her, if not anyone else, in her own mortal life, of course.

"Yes, if that's all right with all six of you Hinatan girls, it very well could be, Motoko-chan. Does that sort of thing displease you at all, by any chance?"

"At least a little, I admit, Urashima. But if it is the case for any or all of us, then so be it," answered Motoko.

"Are you sure about that? That really doesn't sound like you, Motoko," said Keitaro.

"Keitaro, I can't deny the truth of certain things, or the likely truth of certain things, no matter how much I might personally prefer to in my own mortal life. I have no reason to object needlessly to the idea of this perhaps being the last night that any or all of us might actually spend as unmarried females in our respective lives, especially given my prior history with you, at least. You would be fully within your rights, I feel, given that very same prior mutual history of ours, to require me to atone for my many errors in judgement in certain ways, if and whenever you might then see fit. Same thing with many of the rest of us, I think. Like Naru, for example. But you have not insisted on being able to do so with any of us who have often mistreated you quite unfairly in various ways at various times, when most men might do otherwise, I'm quite sure," said Motoko.

"Because I respect you all to the very best of my ability to do just that well enough here and now, Motoko. I would never willingly force any of you to do those sort of things with me if you're not also willing to do them. No matter who you are. I am not the kind of man who deliberately mistreats any female without just cause, as you should all know quite well by now. No matter who they might be. Whether it's one, if not more than one, of you or not, I am just not that kind of man in my own mortal life."

Koushoku, Kaolla, and Kitsune soon nodded in strangely simultaneous acknowledgement of that simple fact here, and then Koushoku said, "No, you're not that kind of man, Keitaro. You may be rather clumsy and a whole lot of other things in your life, but you're most certainly not that kind of man in it, for sure."

Kaolla said, "That's right, Kei-Baby. If you were, I don't think you'd still be around here, for one reason or another, if it could possibly be avoided at all somehow. Sure, you may have your faults from time to time, but your heart of gold and all your other good qualities far outweigh your weaknesses in your life, at least as far as I'm currently concerned here. I have no doubt at all that the other five Hinatan girls here agree with me sufficiently well, for that matter, Keitaro."

"You've got that quite right, Kaolla," said Kitsune. "It's now gotten to the point here in all our lives that you're an indelible part of our family here at the Hinata Apartments, Keitaro. And even if you do actually have to leave us all for at least a little while, if not for a long while or permanently, you will always remain such to us all for at least as long as one, if not more than one, of us is still alive in this world and/or Universe of ours, I'm quite sure."

Just then, someone rather unexpectedly knocked on the main doors of the Hinata Apartments. Keitaro rose from where he was then sitting in the main room, and went to them. A young woman apparently about the same age, more or less, as several, if not all, of the Juubanites was at them, and she soon asked, "Is this the Hinata Apartments, by any chance at all, young man?"

"Yes, it is? May I ask who you are, please, then?"

"Of course. But I would like to make a request of you before I answer your question about who I am, if I may, young man." She beckoned him to stand near her about halfway down the main outdoor steps for a little while, in very short order.

"And that is?" asked Keitaro, once they were unquestionably far enough away from prying ears and eyes, at least, here and now.

"Please do not let the other sentients from Juuban even know I actually came here in the first place until some decent length of time has passed after you all return from your imminent round-the-world trip with your primary tenants here, if you don't mind too much. I am an associate of theirs from that area, but if I'm not too mistaken here, any or all of them somehow getting wind of this well enough will greatly endanger many people, including themselves. At least as of the current time, anyway, Urashima-san."

"I see. I'll try to not let them know you showed up here, then, Miss who?"

"You can call me Meioh-san or Sailor Pluto, depending on which form I'm in at a particular time whenever you see me or hear from me, Urashima-san. Before I go, though, I have some news to share with you which four of our soon-to-be mutual associates actually forgot to mention earlier to your Haruka when they called for you today. They, or their employer, will actually be bringing two eagles, two cougars, and a wolf with them when they eventually come here. Those animals are all sentient as well, and will assist several, if not all, of your tenants periodically in their training sessions and in battles, at least, for that matter. Just who they are, and where they came from, you all will just have to wait a little while before you can actually find out from the people who called for you earlier, though. Now I must be off again, for a Senshi's work is almost never completely done, it seems to me. Remember, do not let the other Juubanites know I came here as best as you can for at least the time being, if at all possible, okay, Urashima-san?" asked Setsuna Meioh, as she began to quietly descend the main steps just as soon as she possibly could here.

He nodded once at her, and she acknowledged his nod with a rather brief wave, before silently beckoning him to head back up the main steps towards the main doors before everyone else could spot them near enough to each other at the current time. He followed her silent directions to return to those doors, and actually reached them just as Koushoku and Motoko were trying to get past Mutsumi and Shinobu to see who'd knocked on them a little while before to a sufficient enough degree. As soon as he tapped both Mutsumi and Shinobu on the necessary shoulders for each of them, they let him through, and made everyone else return to where they'd each been sitting in the main room when Setsuna had shown up outside those doors.

Shinobu asked, "Who was that, Senpai?"

"Someone who knows the people who have been trying to find a way for you all to be legally married to me, in fact, Shinobu. Those people somehow forgot to include some rather important information earlier, and will share it with us all later, just as soon as they possibly can. The person I just talked to is a certain associate of many, if not all, of the Juubanites, you see, and she told me not to let them know of her visit here for as long as it can possibly be avoided at all, in fact, girls. At least not until we all get back from our round-the-world trip, anyway, if not even longer than that, that is."

"I see. Very well, then. Nobody speaks of this matter to any of the Juubanites until further notice, if at all possible, girls. Is that clear?" asked Shinobu.

"As crystal, so to speak," all the other Hinatan girls soon said here, of course. Especially Kaolla, after Shinobu shot her an especially serious look here, by the way.

Not too much later, then, everyone most likely headed right to bed here. Even Keitaro, for that matter. The last two of the seven who'd just had a rather-unexpected meeting with each other to part from everyone else were Keitaro and Shinobu, quite naturally enough.

When she was at least reasonably sure they'd not be interrupted for at least a little while, then, she pulled him into the kitchen and had him sit down at a table there with his sketchbook and some of his drawing utensils for a while. That done, she had him close his eyes briefly so that she could actually transform into her Sailor Leyua state of being, just in case her current Senshi transformation wasn't quite as hidden this time as it normally was for her in her life. Shinobu easily powered up, and her transformation went perfectly for her as she did so here. Once she was sufficiently powered up into her own Sailor Leyua state of being, she then allowed him to open his eyes again here.

When he did, he soon asked, "Why did you power up, Sailor Leyua?"

"I'd like you to draw me in this state of being here, if you don't mind. Or at least sketch me in this state of being, anyway," she said, as she then decided to sit on a certain stool near him in the kitchen area here.

Just then, Leyua Knight rather unexpectedly rang her on a communicator of sorts, and soon asked her, "Is everything all right over there in the girls' dormitory, Sailor Leyua?"

"Everything's just fine, Leyua Knight. No need to come over here right now. Just go back to what you were just doing. I'm having at least a little bit of a private conversation of sorts with Keitaro at present. If I need you, I will call you. Otherwise, please leave me alone until at least tomorrow morning, okay?"

"As you wish, Sailor Leyua. Leyua Knight out."

She then put away her communicator again as needed here and now, and soon said, as she took up a suitable enough position on that stool, "Any time you're ready to start sketching me, go right ahead and do so, then, Senpai."

Keitaro wasted no more time in beginning to do just that, then, and had at least a basic sketch made of her within five minutes of beginning it. Another ten or so minutes or so later, Sailor Leyua was sitting on the edge of a water fountain in a city park of some sort somewhere on Leyua's planetary surface. The in-progress sketch was only about half-completed, at present, overall, but her appearance was entirely drawn in as necessary here. All he still had to do for the sketch now in question here was the scenery then present around her for it, in terms of completing it all to a sufficient enough degree at the current time, in fact.

After he finished with her current appearance for the sketch now in question here, he then filled in all the other necessary details for it as needed and/or desired here, just as quickly and as well as he possibly could do that. The water fountain soon received a rather significant level of detail for its ornamentation, which mainly featured stylized versions of various plants and animals from anywhere at all on Leyua, by the way. Especially in terms of certain kinds aquatic or feline animals for it, quite naturally enough. Once he felt sufficiently comfortable with allowing her to move again here, he then did so here, of course. After which, she soon rose from that stool and moved to his side at the table he was now working at here.

She quietly watched him work for a while longer on it, as he continued to work rather earnestly indeed on that sketch, and was especially pleased with the very intricate level of detail present in the sketch. Especially when it came to many, if not all, of the rather beautiful flowers and/or the rather interesting animals then near Sailor Leyua and/or the water fountain in it, by the way. Eventually, the entire sketch was completed well enough to sufficiently satisfy Keitaro here and now, quite naturally enough. So he soon signed it and presented it directly to her, of course.

As with his earlier sketch of her in a stakufara, she greatly approved of it, and she thought it was the second-best sketch of her that he'd ever done to date, to the best of her current knowledge. Second only to the former sketch, of course, at the current time. She soon handed it back to him so that he could keep it in his sketchbook until it could be protected as needed quite well enough for her. Not long after that, they soon parted from each other here for at least the rest of the night, and they both went to their own respective rooms in the girls-only dormitory. Both were then quite soundly asleep in them no more than ten to fifteen minutes after entering them, in any case whatsoever, quite naturally enough. And so they both slept in their respective beds, with both of them not all that likely to rise again before at least 7 in the morning, if not even later than that, of course.

* * *

The following morning, the first ones up on the grounds were the primary tenants and the manager for the Hinata Apartments. And all were up and suitably dressed by no later than 8 in the morning, in any case at all here. As for all the other people on the grounds, they were either still sleeping or otherwise occupied in various places all over them, quite naturally enough. Shinobu just made breakfast for herself, her Senpai, and the rest of the primary tenants, for everyone else then on the grounds didn't actually make any appearances in either the kitchen or the main dining area until at least a little while after the aforementioned seven people had shared their breakfast with each other perhaps for the last time as single people, or nearly the last time, if not actually the last time, as such. Supposing, of course, that they were actually able to get married as they each then saw fit to here, quite obviously enough.

Not very long after they'd all finished their own respective breakfasts with each other in the main dining area, Shinobu suddenly suggested, "Keitaro, how would you like to bathe with us this morning, by any chance at all?" She asked him this as they were all sitting or standing for at least a little while near each other in the main room watching an early-morning game show with each other, in fact.

"Are you sure that'd be perfectly all right with all you Hinatan girls, Shinobu?" asked Keitaro, a few somewhat brief moments later.

"If I didn't, Senpai, I wouldn't have asked, of course," answered Shinobu, during the next available commercial break for the game show.

"Come on, Keitaro. You know Shinobu-hime loves you and will do whatever she can to protect you, if at all possible," said Kitsune, from somewhere near the television.

"But Koushoku and Motoko have often gotten after me in the past, you know, for being there while any or all of you are there, Kitsune."

"That is true, Urashima, but still, she has a point, believe it or not. If you still feel at least a little uncomfortable with the idea, then you can always bathe in another part of the hot springs, hidden behind a rock, if you must. But you will bathe with us, or else you will risk the possibility that Shinobu's sadness might eventually return, I think. And I don't think it would be a good idea for that to happen here, for it seems that if you deny her this here, she might just lose control of her emotions and unwillingly transform into Sailor Leyua. Please do not let that actually happen here, so close to our potential shared wedding to you here, somehow, if you can possibly avoid it at all right here and right now," said Motoko, in very short order, standing behind one of the couches in the main room.

"If you want us all to cover up while we're all there, then we will, Keitaro," said Koushoku. "But please bathe with us. I know this is still rather strange indeed for you to hear from my lips, but I really want you to actually bathe with us all here, by the way. Either wear a towel or wear a pair of swimming trunks, whichever you might prefer to wear, but do please bathe with us all. This may be the very last time we all can bathe with each other like this before everything changes once and for all in each of our lives, in terms of what we each are to you here and now. I promise to not hit you just like I've quite often done in the past whenever you've actually come upon any or all of us Hinatan girls in the hot springs while we're bathing in them." Koushoku then shot him a rather uncharacteristic pleading look here, much to his rather obvious surprise here. For he'd generally never seen a look like that from her before in all his time in and around the Hinata Apartments, if ever, of course.

"Only if you all think I should do so, girls. Otherwise, I won't. Simple as that."

"Kei-kun, you know that we all must wash before this particular meeting we're all having with those people who've been trying to see if we can all marry you legally enough, right?" asked Mutsumi, during the next available commercial break.

"Sure I do. But I'm still rather uncomfortable with the idea of sharing a bath with you all here, given all our prior histories with each other, especially as they pertain well enough to me here, Mutsumi."

"You know you have absolutely nothing at all to fear from me or Shinobu, at least, Kei-kun. We've both always been sweet on you for as long as I can remember here, ever since you came here a good while ago. You do happen to know this quite well by now, don't you, Keitaro?"

"I suppose so, Mutsumi. I'm not so concerned about you two getting after me if I am with you in the hot springs as I am about the others doing the same, you see. Prior histories with all my primary tenants here being as they generally have been for us all here, of course."

"Sure, I can understand your apprehension about bathing with us all at least a little bit, if not a lot, Keitaro. But still, Motoko is quite right here, at least for once. It would be most unwise, perhaps, to upset Shinobu here by not bathing with us when she asked you to do that so suddenly here and now. My current Senshi Realm or Realms of Influence, so to speak, may actually have little or nothing at all to do with water, ice, or dreams, for instance. But even I can somehow sense at least a little bit of cold actually starting to emanate from her right now, to be totally honest with you here and now. Right now, every second that you still delay in honoring her request is bringing that cold even more to the surface for her here, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"Please, Kei-Baby, bathe with us all, at least this once," added Kaolla. "I really don't want to get too cold in the hot springs just because you turned down Shinobu's heartfelt request for you to bathe with us all."

"What do you think, Kitsune?" asked Keitaro, about a minute or so before the game show was due to resume here, more or less.

"I concur with all the other girls' thoughts on this particular issue here, believe it or not, Keitaro. And I daresay that if you don't, you might somehow not even get to marry at least one of us, somehow. I happen to think this now just because I actually had a series of rather weird dreams or visions of some sort last night that seemed to suggest that if you didn't bathe with us, your scent, so to speak, wouldn't somehow be on each of us binding us to you when those people who are coming to meet with us all arrive here later on. This scent of yours on each of us Hinatan girls will apparently show them all somehow that you actually are willing to marry us all. Even given the rather unusual situation that we're all in together with each other here and now in our own respective mortal lives. It may also help to delay at least a few things, if not a lot of things, at least in terms of us eventually having to actually battle our yet-future evil enemy or enemies, it seems to me. If your scent, so to speak, is not actually on us, it could then perhaps leave any or all of us more at risk in battle from them, for instance, somehow. Or perhaps more at risk of certain kinds of harm from any number of humans that might eventually seek to prey on any or all of us, I suspect, in either our Sailor Senshi or our civilian states of being, if I'm not too mistaken here, for that matter."

"No matter who you are, Kitsune?" asked Keitaro, seconds before the show would resume.

"That's right. Would you really want to risk Shinobu's personal safety any more than you absolutely have to by not bathing with us here, if my dreams or visions of some sort from last night here might possibly be accurate enough in any or all of their respective natures, Keitaro?" Kitsune asked that of him once the game show they'd all been watching was sufficiently over here, by the way.

"No, of course not. I could never truly stand to actually see her hurt needlessly, if I could possibly ever avoid it at all, somehow, Kitsune. For she's just too important to me in my life, just like all the rest of you Hinatan girls are here as well, you know."

"Then I take it you will bathe with us, Keitaro?" asked Kitsune.

Keitaro thought for about a minute or two in relative silence, before finally answering, "You win, girls. I'll bathe with you. But I would really prefer that you all either wear swimsuits or towels when you then do so with me, just the same. At least for a little while, anyway."

"As you wish. But don't be surprised if we decide to remove them later on in the bath, for whatever reason or reasons, Senpai. I mean, it's not like you haven't seen us all naked before. And it's not like at least a few of us haven't seen you at least partially exposed before. Remember the very first day we met you, after Naru and Motoko, at least, started chasing you? You unintentionally flashed me, while trying to get away from those who were then chasing you all around here. Yes, I know it was rather embarrassing indeed for both of us at the time, and it may still be at least a little bit for both of us, but we're all family now, so to speak. If all somehow goes sufficiently according to plan for all of us, we'll all somehow be able to actually make it so legally enough here and now, of course. I really can't wait too much longer at all to actually become Shinobu Urashima. And I'm quite sure that all five of the other Hinatan girls here can't wait much longer either to also take your last name as their own, if at all possible, my beloved. As for each one of us Hinatan girls who is not yet at least eighteen years old, at least in a physical enough sense, if not in any other possible senses as well, after much discussion and much private contemplation between us all over at least the last 24 or so hours, if not even longer than that, we've all voluntarily decided to undergo the specific process mentioned earlier by Kaolla and others that'll then speed up our own respective bodies' maturation processes as necessary. That's if we actually are somehow able to marry you legally enough in the very near future, by the way. As for all the other people on these grounds who aren't at least that old, in at least a physical sense, if not in any others as well, the jury, so to speak, is still out on each of them, in truth."

"Understood. I daresay that none of us who were here on the day that I first got here to become your manager will ever forget that day, Shinobu, no matter how long any of us live in our lives."

"Yes, I do believe you're right, Senpai. You have baked your way into our hearts, so to speak, and we would not be the people we are now if you had never shown up here. That said, we all must bathe before our guests get here, for all the obvious reasons. I will allow you about ten minutes from now, seeing as it is now just about 9:05 in the morning here, to get your bathing supplies and whatever else you feel that you might need from your room before I send Koushoku and the others in to bring you to the hot springs. I want to see you in the hot springs area by no later than 9:15 in the morning around here, or else I definitely will not make whatever you might then want me to make for supper tonight, Keitaro. No matter what it is. Is that clear, crystal clear, Senpai?"

"Yes, Shinobu-chan, it is. I will be there, as long as I'm not delayed or disturbed needlessly, I'm sure."

"Good. Motoko and Koushoku, see to it that he isn't delayed or disturbed needlessly until then, at least. I don't really care how you do it, but just do it."

Motoko and Koushoku nodded immediately, and promptly escorted Keitaro to his room, so that he could do as he then needed to here, of course. When they got there, Motoko took up a position in front of his door, while Koushoku followed him into his room to make sure that he wouldn't actually try anything he shouldn't and to make sure that nobody else would be able to spring a surprise arrival on him from elsewhere, whether from above, from outside the dorm, or below, if it could possibly be avoided at all somehow. Under Koushoku's rather intense monitoring of him here, he soon had all the necessary bathing supplies and whatever else he thought he might then need in his possession as needed and/or desired. Once that simple fact had sufficiently registered in both his and Koushoku's minds here well enough, she escorted him out of his room in very short order. Motoko, of course, rejoined them just as soon as they left his room behind again here. The two young women made quite sure that nobody at all would bother him needlessly for at least a little while, then, as they also escorted him to the main changing room in the Apartments, so that he could either don a pair of swimming trunks or a towel as he actually saw fit to here. While they stood guard where necessary enough here, he then chose to put on a pair of swimming trunks here, quite naturally enough.

Once he was changed, he was escorted out of that room, so that both Motoko and Koushoku could also put on towels or swimsuits, as they each then saw fit. While Motoko changed, Kitsune briefly took her place in keeping at least one of her eyes directly on Keitaro here. And while Koushoku then did so, Mutsumi did the same thing for her here, by the way, in turn. Eventually, all six of Keitaro's primary tenants and Keitaro had each donned either swimsuits or towels for their time in the hot springs with each other, of course.

Keitaro was in the hot springs area again no less than one minute before Shinobu's deadline. By the time he arrived there well enough, Shinobu was already there, in fact. She soon saw him, and motioned towards a place quite near her in them. Most specifically, it was a place right next to her, as she currently sat about half-submerged in the hot springs area somewhat near her usual place in it.

As he neared her, she slid over slightly to better make it possible for him to sit near her in the hot springs, and he soon did just that here. As he sat, the other Hinatan girls here soon found various other places to sit in them, quite naturally enough. For a while, as they then bathed with each other, they also discussed various things with each other that crossed their minds here and now. Before they realized it, all seven of them eventually began splashing each other, and even began to play truth or dare with each other. Before they all started to play truth or dare here, however, they mutually agreed that all accepted dare parts would not be attempted at least until such time as they had all left on their round-the-world trip with each other, if not even longer than that, in any case at all. That was only supposing that they might then decide to postpone the actual attempting of them here, by the way. Yet, all accepted truth parts would most certainly have to be revealed before then, at some point, no matter what. They soon decided on a certain penalty that would be assessed when needed and/or possible, for those that didn't either answer a question truthfully or refused to attempt a sufficiently reasonable dare, of course, quite naturally enough.

Also, Keitaro suggested that they perhaps have several other males perhaps join them in the hot springs, seeing as they were now going to play Truth or Dare with each other, just to even things up here to at least some degree here, for all the obvious reasons. Shinobu briefly considered the idea, and then said, "Very well. You may ask up to five or six other males to join all seven of us temporarily here, Senpai. But they may be here in the hot springs only for as long as the Truth or Dare component of things actually still lasts for us all here and now, for all the obvious reasons, quite naturally enough."

"Understood, Shinobu." Keitaro soon found five males in assorted places all over the grounds, and those five males were David, Solomon, Arthur, Lancelot, and Kenshin, in fact. Not long after that, then, all five of them were also in appropriate enough swimming trunks with each other here. On his way back to the hot springs with all five of those very same males, he rather unexpectedly indeed ran into Sylvia and Rolando, who rather strangely enough, were both also in suitable enough swimsuits as well here. Sylvia then asked if she and Rolando could actually join him and others in the hot springs as well. And Keitaro soon acquiesced to the idea, though not without at least a little apprehension here, for all the obvious reasons, of course.

The eight of them soon rejoined the six young women still in the hot springs with each other. Then each young woman changed positions in the hot springs so that they were actually being flanked in a somewhat large circle by one male each, and one male was being flanked by two of the young women now present in it. Flanking Keitaro, then, on either side were Shinobu on his right, and Mutsumi on his left. From Mutsumi, clockwise, around that circle, then, the players then sat near each other, as they saw fit, within logical enough reason here. On Mutsumi's left, then, Solomon sat. Next to Solomon, Mitsune. Next to Mitsune, Kenshin. Then came Motoko. Then David. Then Sylvia. Then Rolando. Then Koushoku. Then Lancelot. Then Kaolla. Then Arthur. Then Shinobu. And finally Keitaro, of course, to complete the circle now in question here. For those that didn't yet know the current rules of the game,

They soon spun a floating bottle to see who would start off the game, and the bottle landed on Lancelot. He chose to ask Koushoku, "Truth or Dare?"

Koushoku thought for a minute, and then said, "Dare, Lancelot-san."

"Walk once around the hot springs on just your hands, then, if you can, Koushoku. If you can't complete the dare well enough, you must kiss one of us guys on the lips with your eyes closed."

"I'll take that dare, then." Koushoku rose from her place in the hot springs, and began to walk on just her hands, as dared by Lancelot. It took her about five minutes to do so well enough, but she still did just that easily enough, without falling even once while doing so. After which, she then returned to her place in them, of course. She then took the bottle and spun it herself, quite naturally enough here. It landed on Arthur. She then asked, "Truth or Dare, Arthur-san?"

"Dare, Koushoku."

"Kiss someone on the cheek at random, while blindfolded, Arthur-san."

"I don't see a blindfold anywhere around here."

"We can use a towel, perhaps, Arthur-san, to blindfold you temporarily."

"Very well, I suppose so, if you have no other choice in the matter."

Koushoku then grabbed a nearby towel, moved over to him, and blindfolded him somewhat easily indeed here, of course. She soon returned to her seat, and waited to see in which direction he would then go here, while everyone else proceeded to remain quite quiet at her unspoken, yet obvious, signal here to do just that. Arthur stood still in the middle of the hot springs, and then moved right towards Motoko without realizing it. Seconds later, his lips met her left cheek for a few seconds, at least, in a rather gentle manner, perhaps.

Motoko was quite surprised indeed that his steps had brought him to where she was then sitting in the hot springs, and then she couldn't help but smile at the gentleness of the kiss he'd just laid on her left cheek. She then looked at Koushoku, as if to ask "May I remove this blindfold of a sort from his face so that he can return to his seat here, then?" Koushoku, of course, nodded in the affirmative, and then Motoko tossed the towel in question back to her here. Then Arthur spun the bottle here as needed.

When it landed on Mitsune, Arthur then asked the standard question, quite naturally enough. Mitsune said, "Truth, Arthur-san."

"If you could actually have dinner with up to five other people you then wanted to have it with, living or not, who would you have dinner with, and why, if you could tell us well enough, Mitsune?"

"Harriet Tubman, so that I could hear about her life as a private detective in the past, in terms of various cases of hers, whether solved or not. Jane Austen, so we could discuss her career as a scientist, at least in terms of her own personal experiences as a biologist and/or as a geneticist, in it. Amelia Earhart, so I could discuss various novels she'd once written in her life. And Leif Ericson, so that I could learn quite a bit, if not everything, about most, if not all, of his adventures as a pirate quite a long time ago. Those four would perhaps be my most preferred potential choices for assorted dinner companions of mine here, I think, Arthur-san." Then Mitsune claimed the bottle, and spun it. It landed on Rolando, who chose Truth, and he answered a question about his greatest regret so far in his life.

After Rolando answered Mitsune's question, the game of Truth or Dare lasted for about another hour or so, at most, and certainly not more than another ninety minutes, in any case. Eventually, it drew to a close, and everyone else left the hot springs behind in very short order, once it had done so well enough here. All except for the Apartments' primary tenants and their manager here, of course.

They all soon resumed bathing with just each other here and now for at least a little while longer, if not quite a bit longer, by the way. They all even went about periodically getting quite close indeed to Keitaro here and now as they then did so, to hopefully make it much easier for his own personal scent to actually get on them as needed or desired for them all here. And vice versa, for that matter, if that might be necessary here and now as well. Whether that meant any or all of them stripped entirely in the hot springs while they did so, they still did whatever they could in order to make it easier for his scent to get on them, and theirs on him, as best as they then could here. Naked or not, though, they didn't go any further with him than perhaps any number of kisses on the lips from either themselves or him, in any case at all. If even that, quite naturally enough.

Eventually, they felt they'd done all that they could do at the current time to make sure his scent was on each of them as needed, and vice versa. After which, they all soon dressed as needed, and prepared for the arrival of the four people who would most likely mean the difference between them all perhaps being able to marry him, or perhaps not being able to, in the very near future. By 1 in the afternoon, then, all seven of them were as ready as they each could be for the imminent meeting with the necessary people here. And they then occupied themselves with assorted hobbies in the main room at least until about 1:30 in the afternoon.

* * *

Promptly at 1:30, then, a knock was heard on the necessary door or doors for the Apartments, and Keitaro said, "That must be them, everyone. I suppose I'd best let them in, of course."

"Of course, Senpai. How else are we going to find out if we're perhaps going to be able to marry you if you don't? I honestly hope that we can somehow actually convince them to let each and every single one of us marry you here, as well, for that matter, quite obviously enough. Go ahead and let them in as needed here, then."

"As you wish, Shinobu-chan. As you wish." Keitaro then went where he then needed to go, and let their now-expected guests in as necessary here, in very short order, by the way. When they were sufficiently seated as needed here, Shinobu soon brought each of them some tea and crackers to consume during that meeting with everyone now present in the main room.

Not too long after that, one of the guests soon said, "Our employer wishes to place several of her pets in your care for quite some length of time. Two of them in the care of Koushoku here, one in the care of Motoko here, and two others in the care of two other current tenants on these grounds. They all are not yet here, but our employer will arrive here with all five of them soon enough, if we feel that all six of you young women here are each sufficiently worthy to recommend your shared marriage to your manager here as you all wish us to do here and now. If we do, then she will come here with them all, and distribute them as needed and/or desired here, in fact. If we give a strong enough recommendation that you all somehow actually be allowed to marry your manager as you might all really want to do here, then I'm quite sure that she can arrange it well enough with all the necessary people as needed here. However, depending on what we recommend to her, it may require that you all will have to permit at least one other female to be part of your rather unusual proposed marriage configuration here, if not more than one. With that other female perhaps being herself, or someone else sufficiently close to her in her own life, for that matter." The guest who'd just spoken here to them all was a man that had long white hair that fell down to at least his shoulders, if not even further down than that for himself. He appeared to be in his middle to late twenties, at the very most, and he'd introduced himself to everyone else as Kosho Matsuyama.

Koushoku soon asked, "And if you don't, then what, Matsuyama-san?"

"Then perhaps only one of you will be able to be married to him at any time in the future, and you will not be able to share him with each other while either you or he still lives. My associates Hidetada, Norogumi, and Shiori are leaning towards you all being able to actually marry him somehow, if at all possible, but they are all still not yet totally decided on their positions here, it seems. I am leaning as well in your favor, but I too am still not totally convinced of the necessity of this proposed shared marriage between you all. Yes, I admit that at least several of our somewhat close associates would prefer that we recommend our approval of this particular unusual situation of yours, but we have not yet made up our respective minds totally about it, you see, Narusegawa-san. So it is up to you all to somehow actually convince us why we should do so in your favor. We have as much time as you need to make your cases here as best as you can to us, by the way, for we have no other significant enough commitments for the rest of today, at least, it seems to me. Why should we give our recommendations to make it possible as much as we can for any or all of you to marry your manager here as you're all proposing to do, if at all possible, in the very near future?"

All seven of the necessary people then made their cases as best as they then could for at least the next three or four hours, if not even longer than that, even while periodically answering any number of questions from their current guests here as best as they possibly could do just that here. Eventually, their guests decided to test them out here at least a little by challenging them to a battle of sorts elsewhere on the grounds, to see if they were truly as determined to marry him as they'd each claimed to be here.

They all soon moved to another area of the Hinata Apartments' grounds, and the seven primary residents of the grounds each powered up into their respective Senshi or Knight forms. While their guests each powered up into their respective General forms as was then appropriate for each of them to do here and now. Sailors Leyua and Milau opposed Jadeite. Sailors Farujei and Ozom did the same for Nephlyte. As for Hinata Knight and Sailor Umaruc, they faced off against Zoisite. Which, of course, left Sailor Izemu to battle against Malachite, quite naturally enough.

It took quite a while, but eventually Sailors Milau and Leyua were able to defeat General Jadeite easily enough, and for them both to still remain sufficiently conscious here. General Nephlyte gave both Sailors Farujei and Ozom a real run for their money, before they ultimately somehow pulled out the victory out against him by perhaps the slimmest of potential margins here, as well. Hinata Knight and Sailor Umaruc fought most of their shared battle against General Zoisite rather hard-pressed to defend themselves well enough, but Zoisite eventually made a rather unplanned mistake on any of their parts here and now. That mistake gave both of them their only likely real chance to defeat Zoisite in their current battle against her here, and they wasted absolutely no time in taking that one likely real chance of theirs here at all, with both knowing it most likely would be their only real chance to do so well enough at present. Zoisite was defeated sufficiently enough no more than about a minute later, then. As for General Malachite, he, of course, was the most difficult of the four Generals to defeat in battle here. Sailor Izemu was quite good at battling him, but it still wasn't all that easy for her to defeat him in it, just the same. It took a huge swarm of assorted Mecha-Tamas that were massively armed to the teeth, so to speak, with numerous kinds of weapons, for her to be able to finally claim victory in the battle well enough.

Once that was learned sufficiently well here by all necessary parties, as then needed here, General Malachite soon said, "On behalf of Venus and the Golden Kingdom's Middle Eastern Division, you have all earned my strongest possible recommendation here and now that you all be able to somehow marry your manager in the near future, if at all possible. As for my fellow Generals, it is still up to them whether or not they feel the same way. Sound off, Generals, with your desired votes here, then, if you please."

General Nephlyte briefly thought for a moment or two, at most, and then said, "On behalf of Jupiter and the Golden Kingdom's North American Division, I vote to concur completely with Malachite here. You all now have earned such a recommendation from me as well."

General Jadeite then spoke, no more than just a few seconds later, saying, "On behalf of Mars and the Golden Kingdom's Far Eastern Division, I also concur completely. That therefore leaves just General Zoisite to vote as she then sees fit to vote here, of course."

General Zoisite considered what her fellow Generals had just said here for at least five minutes in relative silence, but not more than ten, in any case, and then made her decision on how to vote here and now. She eventually said, "On behalf of Mercury and the Golden Kingdom's European Division, I suppose I must make this particular vote here unanimous, quite naturally enough, for it to carry enough weight with our employer to convince her to do what might then still need to be done here well enough for you all. I have some apprehensions, at least, that this might not actually be a rather wise thing for any of you, if not all of you, to then do in the near future, mind you. But your mutual dedication to each other still leads me to believe it would be much more foolish of me to deny my recommendation that your proposed shared marriage to your manager not to be able to go ahead as best as it possibly can than it'd be for me to do just that here and now, in fact. Therefore, I will not oppose your proposed shared marriage to your manager, if it is somehow possible for you all to actually marry him legally enough in the very near future, everyone. I just really do hope that we are all not actually making any mistakes at all by doing so here and now, of course, for all the obvious reasons, by the way. Or that you're all not making any really major mistakes either, just by then doing so later on, if at all possible and how possible, for that matter, Hinatans."

Not too much later, then, the eleven of them soon took at least a little time in getting cleaned up after their battles with each other, for all the obvious reasons here. Once they were all sufficiently done doing so, General Malachite then used the Hinata Apartments' main phone here, with Keitaro's permission, to call his and his fellow Generals' employer. He then reported on the events of their meeting with the Hinatans here as necessary, and then hung up not very long at all after then doing so at least well enough to suit their mutual employer here sufficiently well, quite naturally enough.

Once he did so, Keitaro soon asked, "What's the verdict from your employer, then, General Malachite?"

"She will recommend that you be able to marry each of these girls as they so prefer. However, this particular recommendation of hers, as I said might then happen, is not without certain strings attached, Urashima-san. Not only will she be coming along with the pets that she'll bring here now, but there will be yet another female with her that you will have to at least meet before she makes that recommendation as needed. They will be here in no more than three or so hours, if I'm not too mistaken here. Seeing as it is now nearly 6 in the evening here, I fully expect that they'll all be here by no later than 9, if that's sufficiently true here, by the way."

"Fine. If we must see them, then so be it. I just hope that my dear girls here aren't heartbroken by them not being able to see their dreams come true, whatever they may be, either now or at any time in the future, if it can possibly ever be avoided at all somehow, General Malachite."

"Understood. Would you mind us staying here until after you are done meeting with them, then?"

"By all means, General Malachite. Your companions are quite welcome to stay here at least until they leave, then, in fact. I'm sure Shinobu wouldn't really mind setting another few places at the table for you all here, would you, Shinobu?" asked Keitaro.

"No, of course not, if it might actually help each of us to somehow be able to marry you, I'd be more than willing to prepare some food and drink for them as well, Senpai. So how many sentients are we talking about here, then, in terms of dinner mates, perhaps?"

"I'd say at least 50 or so, maybe, if not more, Shinobu-chan."

"Then I suppose that I'm going to need at least Makoto's help to make enough stuff for supper, if not anyone else's as well. Very well, Senpai. I'll get cracking on it right now, then. Koushoku and Motoko, go find her right now, if you can. You might as well get Motoki and Shinozaki to help us out as well, if at all possible, for that matter. Kaolla, you see to the notifying of everyone else on the grounds that supper will most likely be served sometime around 9:15, if at all possible. Kitsune, I want both you and Mutsumi to go shopping for certain things that Makoto and I will include on a shopping list for you both, and to also tell Haruka that I will expect her and Seta, at least, if not also Sarah and/or anyone else, to be ready for it by that time, if they're not otherwise occupied then. We may need them here in order to better convince the Generals' employer and her associate to give their total recommendation of our idea to marry Senpai to the best of our abilities to do so here, you see. As for Keitaro, I want you to relax as best as possible in your room until they get here, for you will need to be as relaxed as possible before they get here, if our mutual plan is to succeed well enough here, I think. Generals, you are to remain here in the living room until our other guests get here, as well, by the way. Any questions, anyone?"

She waited for responses in the negative for at least a minute or two, if not even longer than that. After getting none, she then said, "Very well. Seeing as none of you have any objections to the things I just told you, I expect you to get cracking on them right away, to the best of your respective abilities. If any of you then need me in the meantime, I will be in the kitchen area, most likely, for at least a little while, of course. Now hop to your tasks, everyone. Time is wasting, and we can't afford any unnecessary delays or obstacles of any kind here, quite naturally enough."

Everyone then immediately began to comply completely with the orders that she'd just given them all here, even Keitaro. Makoto, Motoki, and Shinozaki soon joined Shinobu in the kitchen as needed, of course, so that they could help her prepare all the necessary food and drink items for everyone's eventual supper here. Nobody else joined them there needlessly for at least the next two hours or so, once the four cooks were all fully engrossed as much as they then had to be in their preparing of supper here, for they didn't really want to invite any unneeded trouble from any or all of them here, by the way.

Supper was completely prepared as needed by no later than 8:45 pm on the dot. It took just about another fifteen minutes for them to place everything as needed on the necessary table or tables anywhere at all in the main dining area, once that was sufficiently true here. Once everything they'd prepared was sufficiently enough just where Shinobu and Makoto then thought it should be, they soon agreed that it was all right for everyone else then on the grounds to finally enter the main dining area for supper, in fact. While Makoto and Shinobu then stood guard over everything that they, Motoki, and Shinozaki had just prepared for everyone's supper here, Shinozaki and Motoki both went around telling everyone sentient who was now present on the grounds that supper was now completely ready for everyone's consumption here.

By no later than 9:15 pm, then, everyone was seated as needed and as appropriate anywhere at all in the main dining area for the Hinata Apartments. The two additional guests soon introduced themselves as Chandra and her distant cousin Surya, who both shared the same exact last name of Kyutushori. In fact, Chandra looked exactly like the rather strange woman that'd first appeared rather suddenly indeed in the hot springs the very same day that Keitaro had actually told all his primary tenants about his visits to UBGES. When she was eventually asked about that fact by Motoko, she said, "I am a descendant, in at least one way, of the Princess Serenity that you each saw then in a vision of sorts. I'm not exactly the same as her, entirely, mind you, although we are both much alike here. As for Surya, her ancestor, in at least one way, was a distant cousin of my own ancestor who appeared to you then, in the time that my ancestor appeared to you then from, Aoyama-san."

Surya, unlike Chandra, had mostly black roughly shoulder-length hair with a few rather narrow copper, gold, and bronze streaks in it, along with quite rare strands of dyed silver, worn normally in a sun-like style. She now wore an orange blouse over a black knee-length leather skirt that was very lightly decorated with several generally stylized sun-like designs on its front and a pair of mostly black and orange several-X-strapped sandals. Also, she wore a rather ancient-looking stud-style pair of earrings that each featured four stylized suns on them, each one above another except for the ones hanging directly from her earlobes, by the way. From top to bottom, then, the stylized suns were mostly bronze, gold, copper, and black in their respective colors, with sufficiently complementary trim wherever necessary and appropriate for each of them here and now. A rather beautiful pendant with yet another stylized sun hung at the very base of a mostly metallic necklace then around her rather well-formed neck, for that matter. A watch that normally had a face that looked much, if not entirely like, some kind of rather ancient sundial was then on her left wrist as well. But as of the current time here, at least, it appeared to be of a simple enough digital-style kind, for some rather obvious reasons here.

Everyone then present got to know at least a little bit more about both of their additional guests here, if not a lot more about each of them. Eventually, Keitaro asked, "So it's probably all up to you whether or not the young women here actually get to marry me at all here, then, Chandra-san?"

"You might say that, perhaps, Manager-san. The fact is, you need my help. And I'm fully prepared to give it to you, as are my Generals and my distant cousin here. However, no matter how much I might prefer otherwise, there are certain things I will need from you all to be able to do this well enough, I think. If I am going to be able to help you do this well enough, I must prove just how serious I am about this matter to those who I will be calling many favors in on that they owe me at present. They owe me a rather considerable number of favors here, but this rather unusual and rather complex situation of yours will require nearly all the favors I've been owed by them to be called in here in order for us to actually get their assistance sufficiently well with the necessary legal enough matters, at least, if not any other matters as well. That's if I'm not too mistaken here, of course. To prove how serious I am about this particular situation of yours, I actually will need to marry you here myself. As will my distant cousin, due to the rather unusual nature and/or complexity of it, for that matter."

"And if we Hinatans don't actually permit you to be part of this rather unusual and rather complex proposed marriage configuration, then, Chandra-san?" asked Shinobu.

"Then, Maehara-san, no matter just how much I might actually recommend such a rather unusual resolution to your current situation as you all might so desire, I don't really happen to know if I have at least enough potential clout with a certain number of people to make it somehow possible for you all to do as you wish here, unfortunately. Ordinarily, I would really prefer not to actually get involved in a rather complex and rather unusual situation like this, for all the obvious reasons. However, I am now rather obviously involved in it here, due to my own employees' personal involvement, at the request of several other people who are now here as well, of course. As such, I am now forced to aid all you Hinatans as best as I possibly can, I think, in your current situation. No matter what it takes to do so, I must now do so, it seems."

"Is that a threat or a promise, Chandra-san?" asked Motoko.

"Neither. Just a statement of actual facts here, at least as they now seem to me here, Aoyama-san."

Everyone conversed quite a bit longer with each other, before Keitaro suddenly asked for at least a few brief moments alone with his primary tenants here, to discuss certain things well enough. Everyone then granted them that time alone here, and the seven aforementioned people then withdrew temporarily to the roof of the girls-only dorm for at least a little while, if not a long while, in fact. Once they were all settled quite well enough in various places on it, Keitaro asked, "What do you ladies think about this matter here?"

Shinobu soon said, "I really don't like it much, if even a little bit, at all here and now. But she did actually make a lot of good points, Senpai. Among those good points was the simple fact being that she actually offered to bear you several more children herself if we then allowed her to join our rather unusual proposed marriage configuration. Most of them through being conceived in the normal way, and a certain number through being conceived through sufficiently artificial means. And her distant cousin also agreed to bear you at least a few children as well here, for that matter, if we all did so here. As much as we may dislike the fact that we will ultimately have to share you with each other, at least, if not others as well, the fact evidently remains that you will need to father a certain number of children in order for any number of sentient beings to actually be saved somehow in the future. Whether those sentients include you or not, of course. I am currently leaning towards permitting her and/or her distant cousin to actually be part of this proposed marriage configuration, but I still will not force the others to do the same here, if they don't really want to."

"If you had to choose, however, Shinobu, do you think you would permit her, at least, to be part of it, if it meant you could actually marry me, as I know you really want to do, if at all possible?"

"Of course I would most likely do so, Senpai. But I still can't force any of the other girls here to do the exact same thing here, quite obviously enough. If I ultimately had to, though, I suppose I would. I believe that I'd actually happen to vote to then include her, at least, if not also her distant cousin, in it, by the way."

Keitaro considered Shinobu's just-made statements for at least a little while here, before then fully turning his attentions here to Mutsumi. He asked her what she thought of the current proposed addition of at least Chandra, if not also Surya, to the rather unusual and rather complex marriage configuration all his primary tenants were hoping to make fully possible here. And Mutsumi soon concurred with Shinobu's thoughts to a rather considerable degree here, if not entirely. She voted in favor of the idea, if it'd actually be rather necessary indeed for everything to then happen sufficiently according to the previously-proposed plan for all concerned parties here and now, in fact.

Next, Keitaro asked Kaolla for her input on the proposed conditions set forth by Chandra some length of time before, quite naturally enough. Kaolla didn't really like a lot of the various things that might actually have to happen here, for various reasons. Or at least not very much, if at all, anyway. But she too ultimately voted in the affirmative here. At least as best as she then could here, anyway.

Once Kaolla had actually given him enough input about their current situation here, and had said well enough that she thought she had nothing more to say of sufficient enough importance at the current time, Keitaro then moved to Motoko here. For at least a little while, then, both Motoko and Keitaro discussed the necessary things with each other here. Ultimately, Motoko generally concurred with the opinions already expressed here by Shinobu, Mutsumi, and Kaolla, and she then voted in the affirmative here as well. Though she didn't necessarily do it without at least some, if not a lot of, reluctance on her own part, for all the obvious reasons here and now.

Keitaro discussed the matter then with Koushoku to a certain degree here, and no matter how much she might have preferred otherwise, she too concurred with the already-voiced thoughts, more or less. She also voted in the affirmative, seeing as she really had no other reasonable enough choice in the current situation. At least from her own personal standpoint, if not anyone else's as well here at the current time, anyway. That made five votes in favor, in essence, then, of accepting two more potential wives for Keitaro into their rather unusual and rather complex proposed marriage configuration here.

Finally, Keitaro took up the subject with Mitsune here, and she also shared her thoughts about the proposed addition of Chandra and Surya into their proposed marriage configuration here. While she also had her doubts about whether or not such changes to their proposed marriage configuration here were actually wise, she was not sufficiently opposed to the idea of them being part of it as well, in truth. So Mitsune ultimately voted to then permit them both entry into it, if they both would absolutely have to also be part of it, here and now. That was in order for their rather unusual and rather complex marriage configuration to somehow get sufficient enough approval in a legal enough sense, at least, if not in any other sense as well, by the way. With Mitsune's affirmative vote on the matter currently in question here, then, that made the vote unanimous here for all sufficiently concerned voting parties here, of course.

Not too much later, then, the seven of them returned to the main room to let everyone else know of their mutual decision on this particular matter here. Keitaro soon relayed the decision to the necessary sentients here, and Chandra said, "Very well. We shall make the necessary arrangements first chance we get to do tomorrow. In the meantime, due to your choice to allow my cousin and I to be part of your proposed marriage configuration here, my cousin, my Generals, and I must now depart for Tokyo again, so that we can be ready to do just that first chance we get to do that tomorrow. A few other things, though, before we go, people. We have a few pets that we would like you to take care of as best as possible for as long as possible in the future. Come forth, Passionheart, Trystseeker, Cherub, Halo, and Virtuoso, so that you can meet your new allies."

Two cougars, two eagles, and one wolf then entered the main room of the girls-only dorm. "They each are all house-broken, by the way, everyone," said Chandra. "Koushoku, the two cougars here are meant to be yours, with Passionheart being the mostly violet-colored male, and Trystseeker being the mostly brown-colored female. They are both quite sentient, by the way. Cherub is meant for Sylvia, with them being the mostly cobalt blue and gold-colored eagle here, and he's quite sentient, as well. Halo is meant for Rolando, and she's Cherub's mate, being the mostly brown, white, and gold-colored eagle of the two. Of course, Halo is sentient here, by logical enough extension here, as you might all expect here well enough. As for the wolf, they're also a quite sentient male, and they're meant specifically for Motoko, with him actually being a mostly crimson and royal blue-colored wolf here. As for their respective basic personalities and/or interests, each are at least a little bit different from each other, for all the obvious reasons here and now. Passionheart is a generally innocent hunter, if and whenever he possibly can be in his own mortal life. While his mate Trystseeker is generally quite mysterious and quite into modeling and dancing, more or less. Cherub is generally a rather confident preacher of sorts. While his mate Halo is a generally intelligent poet of sorts. As for Virtuoso, he is a rather strong fighter, more or less, in his life, for various reasons I'm not entirely sure of at the current time, if I'll ever be, for that matter."

Keitaro soon asked, "Anything else, before you go, then, Chandra-san?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact there is. Was it not your birthday yesterday, Usagi-chan?"

"That it is, but how did you know that, Chandra?"

"I encountered your Earth mother rather unexpectedly while shopping in various places earlier today, and it came up rather unexpectedly that it was your17th birthday yesterday, while we were trying to each pick up a few things at a certain store somewhere in Azabu Juuban for ourselves. I happened to mention, somewhat unconsciously, it seems, that I actually had certain business to attend to here, and she picked up on that particular bit of information rather easily, somehow. One thing led to another, and she told me it was your birthday yesterday. After we had each picked up the various things that we each had to where we'd met up with each other rather unexpectedly indeed, I accompanied her back to your family's residence, and she soon gave me a few things to bring here for you and your brother Shingo, at least, seeing as both she and your father most likely won't be able to join you both here well enough for at least a little while longer, if not for a long while, Usagi. After a short bit of additional conversation between her and me, I soon left your family's home, found all five of my pets that I'm now leaving with you all here, and came here, for all the obvious reasons, and at least one reason that wasn't so obvious here, if not more than one."

"I see, Chandra-san. So what things did Mom give you for Shingo and myself, then?"

Chandra then produced a certain number of sketchpads, assorted notebooks, and any number of writing and/or drawing supplies for Usagi's future use, and at least a few brand-new manga volumes or anime episodes on VCR tapes, as well. Not to mention a brand-new formal gown for her use in the very near future, for that matter. While Shingo received some video games, action figures, and assorted other things that he'd long been known to collect in his own life, quite naturally enough. Once the Tsukino children had received all the things that Ikuko had sent to them through Chandra well enough, they both thanked Chandra for bringing those things to them here, of course. With that then done sufficiently well in very short order, Chandra, Surya, Kosho, Shiori, Norogumi, and Hidetada soon left the Apartments' grounds with each other no more than a few minutes later, in any case at all, for sure. When they all left, it was then just about 11:45 at night on July 1, 1993, by the way.

Everyone on the grounds soon retired to their respective beds on them, if and whenever sufficiently appropriate here, of course. As for the new guardian animals of a sort, they soon found suitable enough places to stay on them, no matter where they were, of course. And virtually everyone who then had rooms anywhere at all on the Hinata Apartments' grounds was quite soundly asleep in their respective sleeping areas by no later than local midnight, if not everyone, for that matter. Whether they were humanoids or not, by the way. And so they all slept.

* * *

Chandra, along with numerous other people, including Tsuruko, to name just one of those numerous other people, arrived back on the grounds for the Hinata Apartments by no later than 9:45 the following morning. She actually returned with them much earlier than anyone else had thought she might be able to do just that well enough here and now. And when she actually did so quite well enough, she soon showed every single one of the primary tenants and Keitaro several sufficiently approved legal documents, pending the eventual necessary signatures of certain other people in very short order. Those certain people, of course, would have to include not only those who'd be getting married, but also a sufficient enough number of the witnesses to the proposed shared marriage between Keitaro and his future wives, for all the obvious reasons.

Once that was sufficiently understood by all necessary parties here, each of the prospective brides was soon escorted to various rooms in the girls-only dorm, for the obvious reasons, by certain other people in their respective lives. Quite obviously enough, each young woman, with the exception of both Chandra and Surya, was soon escorted to their own current rooms in the dorm. Chandra and Surya, however, were escorted to the room that Usagi now occupied as a temporary tenant in it by Shiori, Usagi, Sylvia, and Midori.

As for Keitaro, he was very quickly indeed escorted to his very own room in it by Mamoru and many of the other males who were now present on the Apartments' grounds, quite naturally enough here. It then took Keitaro just about an hour or so, perhaps, if not even longer than that, to finally meet well enough with enough people's approval here to allow him to exit his room again here, in fact. As the other males then with him each tried to help him prepare for the rather-rushed wedding as needed, appearance-wise, at least, at least a few of them also took down at least some words for specific vows related to each of the young women he'd then be marrying. At least for most of them, anyway. For the other two young women he'd soon be marrying, though, he'd probably have to wing them both, for all the obvious reasons here, and hope that he really didn't make a fool of anyone who'd then be participating in the wedding ceremony while doing so here, for that matter.

By 11:30 in the morning of July 2, 1993, at the very latest, then, he'd actually met sufficiently well with his current male companions' approvals here, in various ways, including with his current appearance in a black tuxedo, white shirt, black bowtie, and black business-style shoes. Once that was sufficiently true for him here, they then rather unexpectedly blindfolded him, and quickly dragged him to a waiting limousine that'd been ordered specifically for the ride to the nearest Church where the mass wedding would actually take place. The limousine in question had been ordered specifically for the occasion by four certain anonymous people of his own personal experience. Who those people were, he wouldn't know for sure until the ceremony in question was about to start, for sure. The limousine soon brought him to that Church, while he was still blindfolded, and he was then quickly stashed below a certain trap door somewhere near the main altar in it, by the way, for at least a little while, if not a long while.

An hour or so after they'd then unexpectedly stashed him there, but not without placing the Hina Blade in his hands, many other people soon arrived on the Church's grounds as well, more or less. Quite naturally enough, it was most, if not all, of the rest of the wedding party's participants, of course.

The prospective brides were all soon escorted to the main doors in the Church by numerous others, wearing mostly white dresses with trim and/or decorations wherever appropriate enough in suitable enough colors, as well as wearing sufficiently matching shoes in various styles and blindfolds of their own in those colors, as needed here, by the way. Shinobu's trim and/or decorations were mostly purple, pink, and medium blue in color. Mutsumi's were mostly lime green and tan. Kaolla's were mostly red, brown, gold, and silver. Motoko's were mostly crimson, white, and royal blue. Koushoku's were mostly saffron yellow, burgundy, and brown. Mitsune's were mostly bronze, white, and lavender. Chandra's were mostly gold, silver, and bluish-green. And Surya's were mostly gold, copper, bronze, and black, for that matter.

Each prospective bride then received, while still blindfolded, a certain sword that the Urashima Clan had long had in its possession, and a scabbard for each sword, quite naturally enough. These eight specific swords had long been kept in secret vaults controlled by the Urashima Clan over many centuries since being forged by a long-dead ancestor of Keitaro, in fact. They would rarely be removed from those vaults by members of the Urashima Clan, and normally only in cases where they actually would need periodic maintenance or in cases where their actual availability was unquestionably required in hopes of defeating any number of evil forces' members in battle. Cases such as the one that everyone who was now sufficiently connected to Keitaro had rather unexpectedly become a definite part of in their own respective mortal lives, for example.

Two ministers, one Jewish, and one Protestant Christian, then came out of a side door on one side of the church, and stood in front of the main altar. A large barrel of some sort that looked much like a bingo-style numbers drum had been placed just in front of it, by the way, in between the main altar and the place where Keitaro was currently stashed below a certain trap door in the church. The Protestant Christian minister opened the drum, and the Jewish one placed several slips of paper secured quite well indeed to bingo-like balls in it, with writing in Hebrew, Japanese, and English, as appropriate for each potential bride of Keitaro here. That done, the Christian minister, one Pastor Bethel, then closed the drum and began turning the crank for it here. Pastor Bethel turned the crank for about three or four revolutions before letting it go well enough. When the drum finally drew to a stop well enough, Bethel asked his Jewish counterpart to check which ball had ultimately landed in the trough below the drum. Rabbi Gibeon soon said, "The lot says that the Dreamer is the first to be selected here. Bring forth the Dreamer to the front of the main aisle, those who would give her away to the Chosen One, then. And let the one who would be her mate arise from where he has been kept until now, so that they may prove their complete worthiness to marry each other here and now to all assembled parties, if it is truly the Will of the One above for them to do so."

Moments later, the so-designated person was brought forward to a point at the end of the main aisle closest to the main altar, and Keitaro was then raised from his previous hiding place. Both she and he were still blindfolded here, however. The Rabbi said, "As it was in the days of old for the Urashima Clan, so must it be now. If you both can actually score at least ten hits, if not more, on each other without somehow drawing blood easily enough from your own respective opponents, through use of your respective swords, you then will both prove yourselves sufficiently worthy to marry each other here and now. However, absolutely no blood must be somehow drawn by your respective blades for that to actually happen well enough here. One drop of blood drawn by either of you with your respective blades against the other will hereby disqualify you both as worthy mates to each other, at least at this time, if not forever, by the way."

"Is a fight truly necessary here for each of my potential mates, or not, Ministers?" asked Keitaro, a few rather brief seconds later.

"Yes, for each intended union to be utterly upheld here as currently needed and desired here by each of you, you must definitely battle each of your potential natural mates here and now, Chosen One. So that they may each fully become part of the Urashima Clan and allow your potential descendants to call forth long-dormant powers and/or items during the numerous battles that are undoubtedly yet to come for you all in your lives, you must then fight each of them as best as you can, if at all possible, until the necessary conditions have been met here well enough."

"Fine, then, Ministers. Let's get this over as soon as possible, and as well as possible, in that case. Dreamer, are you ready to do this, if we must?"

"If we must, let's make it as short as a typical strudel, and as sweet as peppermint kisses in the evening while watching the sun set in it, Chosen One!"

The two stood about ten yards apart from each other as several other people gave them room to move in the church during their required sparring match here. The Dreamer took up a cat-like pose to begin things here, while the Chosen One took up an eagle-like pose with his arms arched like two wings and the Hina Blade pointing slightly above a parallel orientation to the floor under his feet.

When the Pastor said, "Begin," Keitaro sprang into action, and the two soon crossed blades with each other, with the Dreamer mainly using defensive parries against thrusts she thought might unintentionally draw blood from her here, along with several dodges and/or sidesteps, until she felt it was safe enough for her to hit his side with a flat edge of her own blade. He allowed her to score the first few hits before carefully scoring some in like manner either on her legs, arms, and shoulders. They sparred for about another five minutes or so before she scored her tenth safe enough hit on him, and then parried all his incoming strikes that would definitely draw her own blood here. She was also very careful indeed not to let him draw her blood, or to draw his, while the sparring still continued here well enough. Finally, he managed to score the match-ending touch well enough here, and it drew not even the slightest possible bit of blood from her due to his blade. By the time the match was over well enough here, a total of twenty safe hits had been scored between them both in it, and equally divided, believe it or not.

"The Dreamer and her Chosen One have hereby proved their worthiness in combat against each other to be each other's mate. The Dreamer and her Chosen One may now reveal their identities to each other, if they so desire."

The Dreamer wasted no further time in removing her blindfold, once she did so well enough, and her Chosen did the same for his. She was revealed to be Shinobu, and the Chosen One to be Keitaro, though only by voice could the others who were still blindfolded here identify them as such. Their vows were said to each other in no more than five minutes each, and within ten minutes of them removing their respective blindfolds temporarily, they were legally husband and wife here.

Keitaro was permitted no more than ten minutes for a rest break before his blindfold had to be put back on here prior to his next sword battle with one of his potential mates. However, Shinobu was now allowed to keep her own blindfold off so that she could then witness the rest of the required sword battles here during the ceremony, quite naturally enough. He was then escorted back to his required place in the church. But this time, he wasn't forced to remain beneath the trap door before his next fight. And he wouldn't be required to do so for the rest of the current ceremony, for that matter.

The drum was set to go again, and the next opponent for him was soon chosen. The ball came up showing a design featuring a specific kind of sea creature on it, and text in three languages, on the applicable slip of paper. Rabbi Gibeon soon said, "Bring forth the Jagged Archeress to battle next against the Chosen One, those who would give her to him as his mate as well! Same conditions as before, Jagged Archeress and Chosen One. A minimum of ten safe hits each with no errors permitted! Failure at least temporarily delays, if not forever prohibits, this proposed marriage between the both of you here, of course!"

Both opponents nodded in complete comprehension of that fact, and began to spar with each other just as soon as Pastor Bethel said, "Begin," in fact. Within another five minutes, at most, then, the entire fight was completely over, and sufficiently completed as required here and now. No more than about ten minutes or so later, in any case, then, Mutsumi and Keitaro were officially husband and wife as well.

Just under another thirty minutes later, Kaolla was most definitely also married to Keitaro as necessary and as desired here. His fight with her had been somewhat difficult to complete well enough, but somehow, they both avoided drawing each other's blood with their respective blades here. Which, quite naturally enough, pleased them and many others quite considerably indeed here, for all the obvious reasons.

Motoko and Keitaro's battle lasted for nearly an hour, but not quite that much time passed, in truth, for it in the church. The execution of the entire battle was very exhausting indeed on both their parts, and it was most likely due to sheer good fortune that they were actually able to somehow avoid drawing each other's blood in it, in fact. Motoko finally managed to barely end the battle well enough by the slimmest of possible margins for error as she scored the last safe touch for it here. Several minutes or so later, at most, then, Motoko became Keitaro's fourth wife of the current marriage ceremony, as needed and as desired here and now.

Koushoku fought next, and the entire fight lasted no more than five minutes in total, for all the strikes from them both here were rather strangely quite accurate. Even from Keitaro, and even after he'd already actually fought four just-required battles here. About ten minutes after the last hit in the battle, at most, then, she became Keitaro's fifth wife of the current marriage ceremony as needed and as desired here and now.

Kitsune soon battled Keitaro here. And that particular battle of theirs actually lasted for about another twenty minutes or so, somehow, before Kitsune then finished it off as absolutely necessary here. Ten minutes after that, at most, Kitsune became Keitaro's next wife for the ceremony, quite naturally enough.

Chandra was the seventh young woman to fight Keitaro here and now. And she fought him in a manner quite reminiscent of a cat-and-mouse game of sorts. At least for the most part, anyway. She was very good at deflecting potential strikes that might have unintentionally drawn her own blood with his blade, and let it strike her only when it was quite certain that he'd not actually draw blood with those strikes from his blade. She let him score his half of the required hits first, for their mutual benefit, and then scored her ten hits within a minute, at most, of his last safe hit on her in the fight. No more than about another ten minutes later, then, she was his seventh wife for the current marriage ceremony.

In between her fight with him and her distant cousin's fight with him, she gave them both some very well-thought out advice, which they both heeded completely. She told Surya to let him strike first, and only deflect the strikes that were virtually certain to draw blood if they hit her well enough. Surya should let him score several safe enough hits on her, before eventually striking back at him here, and she should then strike him only in areas that'd been hit the least in all the sword battles. After which, they both would finish their respective quotas of safe hits on each other as necessary here, of course. And so on and so forth.

When it was then time for them both to battle, they each followed Chandra's instructions to the letter as best as they possibly could do just that here at the current time. Surya spotted Keitaro seven of the ten minimum safe hits he'd need to have in the battle here, before starting to strike back as well. She then dealt him seven safe hits of her own before they each decided to alternate in dealing out the last six hits they'd need to fill out the minimum number of such hits in the battle here. First Keitaro struck, and then her, until she eventually completed the current sword battle here by making the last sufficiently-required hit here. No more than about ten or so minutes later, then, Surya was made Keitaro's eighth and last wife for the current marriage ceremony here, quite naturally enough.

Not too much later, everyone who'd then been part of the very large wedding party here eventually left the church behind, to the sound of many wedding bells being rung somewhat loudly in the church's very own steeple here, if it was then necessary and/or appropriate enough for each of them to do just that here well enough. And they all soon returned to the Hinata Apartments' grounds with each other, for the inevitable post-wedding reception, quite naturally enough, if they then could do just that well enough with each other here. Many, if not all, of the usual things that were typically done at any number of wedding receptions were then done and said, as appropriate and as possible, until the reception eventually came to an end here well enough.

Once it did so well enough, everyone else who had no sufficient enough reason to still remain on the grounds of the Hinata Apartments vacated them in very short order, for all the obvious reasons here. As for those that did, they all generally found any number of other things to do either by themselves or with others then on the grounds, quite naturally enough, of course. At least most of them did so, anyway, if not all of them.

As for the eight new Urashimas, they all decided to bathe in the hot springs with their brand-new husband. Yet not while totally naked with him, for he was still at least somewhat reticent about actually doing so with them here and now, by the way. Even after his consideration of the simple enough fact that he was now married to them all in his life, due to all the prior history that he actually had with each and every single one of them since his very first arrival on the Apartments' grounds to become the official manager of the girls-only dormitory on them. They didn't press the issue with him at this time, but eventually, they felt it would need to be addressed by them all here, for all the obvious reasons here, of course. Given his current reluctance to be totally naked with them in the hot springs here, they all decided to wear swimsuits in it while they were all with each other here in it. They then remained in the hot springs with each other until just about 11 at night on July 2, 1993, and dressed for bed not too long after they'd each decided to leave it for the rest of the night.

After all of them were dressed for bed, Shinobu asked, "Do you want one of us to be with you tonight, Keitaro, by any chance?"

"I think you should all sleep at least one last time in your respective beds, ladies, before our departure on our round-the-world trip with each other. If memory serves me well enough, we must be in Tokyo for our flight by no later than 11:30 in the morning. And we will need to be able to sleep well enough before we do so, for we will likely be up for quite a while once we're away from here, I think. If one of you stays with me tonight, then I doubt any of us will get much sleep with each other here tonight."

"You might be right," said Shinobu, after a while. "Very well, Keitaro. We will all sleep alone tonight, at least, if not for another night after that. But not much longer than that, if at all, for sure. We are now entitled to be with you as we see fit, and vice versa, within fair enough and logical enough reason here, of course."

"Understood, Shinobu. I will not permanently deny any of you the necessary rights to my person, but I still would prefer to wait for us to do what those rights require of each of us, you see."

"Fair enough. But know this, Senpai. We will not wait forever, and you shouldn't have to either, come to think of it, for all the obvious reasons here and now."

"Agreed. If there is nothing else, then, Shinobu, I would recommend that we all hit our respective beds very soon before it's too late for us to get enough sleep tonight prior to our upcoming flight here, of course."

"No, I don't think there's anything else that any of us either want or need to discuss with you here and now, at least. Right, girls?" asked Shinobu of her co-wives here and now.

All seven of her co-wives told her and Keitaro there wasn't anything else that they either wanted or needed to discuss with her or their shared husband. At least not at the current time, anyway. So Shinobu and Keitaro soon bid them all good night, and pleasant dreams, before parting themselves for the rest of the night, for all the obvious reasons here and now. They soon parted at Keitaro's door with a rather brief kiss on the lips, and then he ducked into his own room here for the rest of the night. After which, Shinobu then went to her own room and retired to her bed not too long after doing so here as well.

* * *

Several hours later, and no later than 9:45 in the morning, everyone was up and sufficiently prepared for the trip to Tokyo with all the things they'd likely need or want to bring with them on the flight. Among those things were plenty of things that they could perhaps do while on the various flights between certain places anywhere in the world, of course. Things like any number of books, for example.

Once everything they'd want or need to bring with them on their trip was taken care of well enough before they left, they called for at least one or two taxis to load those things into for the trip to the nearest train station to them here and now. Not too much later, then, their things were loaded into the taxis as needed, and Keitaro handed the keys and all the other necessary things to Haruka, so that she could run the place as necessary while he and his new wives were all off on their round-the-world trip. This, of course, was for all the obvious reasons here.

One taxi would have Shinobu, Keitaro, and Motoko in it. A second would have Mutsumi, Mitsune, and Surya in it. And the third would have Koushoku, Kaolla, and Chandra in it. Motoko would ride with Shinobu and Keitaro to make sure that they didn't just wander off somewhere when they all then got out of the taxi in order to board their train to Tokyo, at least. As for the others, they wouldn't likely get lost anywhere between the Hinata Apartments and Narita International Airport, if things went sufficiently enough according to plan for all concerned parties here, by the way.

Eventually, they all boarded the necessary train to Tokyo, and were at the necessary airport by no later than 11:30 in the afternoon, in any case at all. However, their flight wasn't due to take off until at least 1:30 or so, if not even later than that, for sure. So they all spent at least a little time making sure that all their things were taken care of as needed, in regards to them being loaded on the flight they'd be taking to the United States, and in making just as sure as they possibly that they were sufficiently cleared, security-wise, et cetera, prior to its scheduled departure time, for all the obvious reasons here, of course.

It took them all at least an hour or so to have all their things then loaded as needed on the plane they'd all be flying to the United States in and to all clear Customs sufficiently well here, if not even longer than that. But they all still were cleared for departure, and all their things were loaded as needed, by no later than 1:15 in the afternoon, in any case whatsoever, by the way. While they were all waiting just as patiently as they possibly could for the necessary boarding call or calls, they each then did at least a few, if not a lot of, fairly simple things either by themselves or with each other, quite naturally enough.

Their boarding call to board their flight on JAL 7393 came at just before 2 in the afternoon, after having been delayed for at least a few minutes by some sudden bad weather that had come through the Tokyo metropolitan area rather quickly indeed. When they heard that boarding call, they all made their ways as calmly as they possibly could onto the plane that would fly them to the United States, for all the obvious reasons here. They were all on that plane and settled sufficiently well into their respective seats in Economy Class by no later than 1:55 in the afternoon, by the way. And their plane took off promptly at 2 in the afternoon of July 3, 1993, Japan time, for the United States, with absolutely no problems of any possible kind whatsoever as it did so, in fact.

* * *

Oh, my! What a chapter! A month, perhaps, in the writing, more or less, but finally it's done here and now! If you so choose, then, people, please suggest certain places for everyone who's going on that round-the-world trip with each other to perhaps go to, if at all possible for them all. They will go at least to the United States, Brazil, Israel, and Australia on their trip, if not anywhere else as well, for that matter. You may make your suggestions privately to me, or you can suggest them in at least one review, if not more, if you'd like.

I am hoping that Chapter Seven will cover at least a good portion of their round-the-world trip, and also cover various events in various places all over Japan that may or may not significantly affect things in the future for all concerned parties. If the future enemy or enemy forces don't start making their move or moves while Keitaro and others are still away on their round-the-world trip, I fully expect that they will begin to do so not very long after they return from it, if not at the very time they do so, in fact. I don't know just when they will yet, exactly, but I am reasonably certain that it will be very soon, just the same, people.

I will, though, begin having them appear no later than the middle of August, in any case. And perhaps even much sooner than that, if that's how the story develops well enough in my head, at least, everyone. I guarantee, in fact, that many people will see battle before September in the story, though I don't know just who will be seeing it by that time well enough yet. Perhaps I'll know for certain by the time I finally manage to finish the round-the-world trip for all of the necessary main characters in this story. At least I really hope so, anyway.

Well, I suppose this is just about enough information here for at least the time being, people. I, therefore, will bid you all farewell, at least until we all meet again, if we ever do, then. Please try to stay safe and all that, everyone, for all the obvious reasons here and now, of course. Please take care, and God bless, God willing, then. TUS out.


	7. Chapter Seven: Travels & Hassles, Pt 1

Here is the next chapter of _The One You Miss Most_. Hopefully you will all really enjoy it, after a perhaps too-long wait since the last time I was actually somehow able to post any chapters for it well enough. Unfortunately, real life has played a major part in the delay between this chapter and the previous one. The next chapter for this particular story will hopefully be out by October, but we'll just have to see how certain things actually go, at least for me, if not also for other people in my life as well, quite well enough, it seems to me. I will try to somehow get the next chapter out for you by October, but I can't guarantee that just yet, due to the fact that my family's living situation is currently up in the air at least a little bit, if not a lot.

For those who are big fans of the Keitaro-Shinobu pairing, at least, for instance, you should perhaps really like at least some of what is going to happen in this particular chapter. Also, certain other characters from various other fandoms will appear as well in it, for that matter. But they most certainly will not be the last non-_Love Hina_ or non-_Sailor Moon_-related characters who will actually appear either in this story or in any or all potential sequels to it. There are plenty more characters that will appear, without a doubt. And just who they might be, you'll all just have to wait and find out, of course, people.

Well, I suppose that's just about enough discussion about the now-upcoming chapter here, then, everyone. With no further ado, I hereby give you all the next chapter of _The One You Miss Most_! This is The Universal Storyteller signing off now, at least until after the end of the chapter, quite naturally enough!

* * *

Chapter Seven: Happy Honeymooners and Hinatan Hassles? [Part One]

* * *

Meanwhile, as the nine Urashimas began flying to the United States, several things began to happen here that would change things quite a bit for many people in and around Japan, at least, if not also anywhere else in the world, solar system, and/or the Universe, most likely. For instance, all of a sudden, several monsters began to appear and attempt to wreak havoc in and around Kyoto. Others appeared in and around Tokyo, and still others did the same in and around Hinata's local area.

The Juubanites learned this not long after they'd learned that the Urashimas' flight had finally taken off well enough for the United States when Setsuna suddenly contacted the Inner Senshi to notify them of that fact, thirty minutes beforehand, in fact. Usagi thought that the Inner Senshi and their Knights should return to Tokyo to help deal with those monsters, but Setsuna said that wouldn't be very wise of them to do that at the current time. She advised them that they should attempt to deal with the monsters in and around Kyoto instead, while she and several others did the same with the ones in and around Tokyo.

"What about the ones who actually will be in and around the Hinata local area here, then, Sailor Pluto?" asked Usagi, after she, at least, had powered up into her now-usual Sailor Senshi state of being. Usagi asked this whether or not any number of the others with her then also had powered up into their own respective Sailor Senshi or Knight states of being here as well, for that matter, by that particular time.

"Let the Hinata Senshi and Knights who are currently present with you attempt to handle them well enough, Sailor Moon. Put them under the leadership of Sylvia, Rolando, Midori, and Gurio. As for you and the others who can currently fight, you should then go to the Kyoto area as soon as possible."

"Why can't we come back to Tokyo to deal with the monsters there, Sailor Pluto?" asked Tuxedo Kamen.

"Because there are going to be Hunters there who may somehow be able to detect your Silver and Golden Crystals well enough, Tuxedo Kamen. Therefore, it'd be best if both you and Sailor Moon, along with the rest of the Inners, don't come back here for at least a little while yet. The Generals with you now must also unfortunately stay away from Tokyo for this fight, for their connection to both Crystals is currently too high not to be somehow detected by those Hunters as well."

Kagome soon asked, "Sailor Pluto, what if Ginkuro and I helped out in the Tokyo area?"

"That is not advisable, Higurashi-san. You, Ginkuro, and Sango all have at least some exposure to the Shikon no Tama, AKA the Jewel of Four Souls, that the Hunters may also be able to detect well enough. I would be very concerned for the Feudal Era if they detected it and were somehow able to steal your shards of it in order to get to the past and perhaps even ally at least temporarily with any and/or all your various enemies there. No, you three must all stay away from Tokyo as well, it seems."

"I see. I don't suppose we have any other choices now, then, Sailor Pluto?"

"None that the Time Gates are currently showing me, it seems, Higurashi-san."

"Then I suppose we're going to have to deal with the other monsters as our current situation warrants here for all of us?" asked Sango.

"Yes, that is so, Meyu-san," answered Sailor Pluto.

"Pluto, Tokyo had better still be there by the time we get back there, if at all possible," said Sailor Moon.

"We will do our best. Now I must sign off so that those who will be fighting alongside me in and around Tokyo's local area will hopefully be quite ready to fight them when they get here, of course, Sailor Moon. Good luck, then, to all of you. Sailor Pluto out."

No more than five to ten minutes later, then, the Inners and the Generals all teleported to the Kyoto local area with each other. While the remaining Senshi and Knights prepared themselves to defend the Hinata local area as best as they then could, of course. Haruka briefly returned to her Tea Shop and armed herself with whatever weapons and equipment that she thought she might need, if and whenever she was needed to fight those monsters as well, quite naturally enough. She also armed Seta as needed here, for the obvious reasons, by the way.

When she got back to the Hinata Apartments' grounds well enough, she quickly engaged the Apartments' automatic defense systems as then needed. Especially while making quite sure indeed that they'd not actually attack any of the currently-known residents on the applicable grounds, in either their civilian forms or their combat forms, for that matter. It took her at least a little while, if not a long while, to fully enough engage them as then needed her and now, for sure. But they were all still fully engaged by her before the first monsters began appearing anywhere in and around the Hinata local area. She wouldn't actually be able to fight those many alien monsters with any kind or kinds of superpowers, of course. Yet she would still fight them to the best of her current ability to do that, if and whenever necessary and possible, just the same.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in Tokyo's local area, Sailor Pluto and the other three currently-known Outer Senshi then assembled in a group with thirteen other persons, six of which were already in combat forms of their own, and seven of which were not. The six that were already in such forms were the Power Rangers from California in the United States, and they'd come to Japan on a part-Ranger, part-vacation basis a little while before. And the seven who weren't were from New York City, and not yet reawakened to their prior status as superhero-type people of a sort. They had done the superhero-type thing before, but after a previous conflict that they'd been part of with a lot of other people, including the Senshi and Knights on Usagi's team, they'd all lost their respective memories of ever doing so quite well indeed.

Unfortunately, they'd actually need to be recalled to duty now as superhero-type people of various kinds, due to the imminent presences of the monsters that Sailor Pluto had told the rest of her associates and several others about already. They soon met up with each other and the other ten people already mentioned behind the Crown Arcade in Azabu Juuban. After which, Sailor Pluto soon brought forth certain items that each of them had actually used before at least once, if not more often than just once, whenever they'd each been in their respective superhero-type states of being. The seven New Yorkers were given those assorted items, not too much later, and Sailor Pluto then took them all through the now-required process of reawakening each of them as superhero-type fighters of some sort, in fact.

Lenni Frazier suddenly became Soulsong once again, and she soon found herself in a fairly simple medium purple gown that fell to just about her knees, with nearly matching leggings underneath. This gown of hers had relatively narrow black straps that wrapped around her neck, leading to a high collar and a cape of some sort, and a brooch of some sort was at sitting at the top of a small oval cutout positioned just below where the straps connected to her gown, which also had several musical note-type symbols present on it just above her hem, more or less. She wore a pair of mostly pink gloves which nearly, but not quite, reached her gloves, and a guitar-like instrument was in her hands. Her feet had black shoes with a few purple, pink, and white stripes on them. A straight tiara with a stone much like the one that was on her brooch, if not exactly like it, was also on her head, and it went all the way around it, by the way. Her own personal powers as Soulsong would mainly deal with things of a musical nature, for that matter.

She was followed in powering up by Jamal Jenkins, who soon found himself in an outfit somewhat similar, but not entirely similar, to what many Green Lanterns might typically wear when on duty. At least when it came to him wearing a green mask and mostly green fighting uniform, anyway. Instead of the Green Lantern symbol, though, there was another symbol in various places on his uniform. This particular symbol resembled a nuclear symbol actually combined with a half-full beaker, with the beaker somehow inside the nuclear symbol that consisted of six rings mostly in gold and/or orange roughly sixty degrees away from each other, more or less, on a six-pointed star-shaped white background, in fact. His powers as Cyberfusion mainly dealt with things that were either of a nuclear nature or of a technological/scientific nature. Where many known Green Lanterns' uniform legs and/or arms might typically be black or green, though, for instance, they were mostly white or gold in his case. And his presently-worn footwear was a pair of mostly green and white high-topped basketball-style sneakers, by the way.

The third person from that group of New Yorkers to power up was Rob Baker, and he soon found himself in an outfit that included a collar that actually went up past the top of his head as part of it. The rather high collar was generally edged in orange, if and/or wherever possible and/or appropriate enough for him, while the inside of it was generally present in a light gold shade or color for him. Much of the rest of his uniform was either orange or light blue in color, including, of course, the necessary footwear for it here and now. And his somewhat secret identity as a superhero would again be Quillmaster, with certain superhero-type powers mostly of peaceful, spiritual, and/or defensive-oriented natures, if and whenever possible for him in his life as one.

Alex Fernandez then powered up and became the Sleuth. His fighting outfit was mostly red, white, and blue, with a mask of sorts over his face that left the top of his head largely uncovered. His powers mainly dealt with time and the detection of actual or suspected past events, more or less.

His sister Gabriella, more commonly called Gaby, soon powered up herself, and became X-Ray Girl. Her outfit was mostly black with yellow text and/or designs on it, with holes for both ears and eyes, as well as one for her nose and mouth. Her powers mainly dealt with time and the detection of actual or suspected present and/or potential future events, more or less. While they shared a Realm of Influence at least partly, in terms of time, due to their sibling connection with each other, their respective abilities in that particular area of things were somewhat different. He was limited in his ability to detect certain things as the Sleuth by not being able to see certain things in the present or the future without her help. While she was limited in her ability to detect certain things as X-Ray Girl by not being able to see certain things in the past that might have happened or not without his help. Neither of them could manipulate time quite like Sailor Pluto could, of course. But they could still perhaps use certain time-based attacks to at least some degree, if needed, in various fights that they might periodically appear at, just the same. A suitably-sized mirror much like, though not entirely like, the one that the evil Queen in _Snow White_ often would glance into and ask who was the most beautiful woman in the world was in her hands, for that matter.

As for Tina Nguyen, her powers as Cosmica mainly dealt with things of natures pertaining to light and/or to space, especially as they were concerned with non-Sol System beings and/or worlds, more or less. Her fighting outfit was mostly black, light green, and yellow, and it included a yellow half-mask over her face that showed her eyes as well, of course. Her black gloves went up past her elbows, by the way, to about halfway between them and her shoulders, for that matter. She powered up almost immediately after Gaby did, in fact. Two comet-like daggers were in her hands, and they seemed to have a semi-ethereal nature, more often than not, often seeming to not be entirely present anywhere in physical reality, though not all the time. Almost as if they were perhaps at least half in and/or half out of known visible existence at various times, in fact.

As for Hector Carrero, who was the last of the seven to power up, he soon became Dr. Illusion. His outfit was mostly purple, orange-yellow, and red, with a hood and knee-length cloak or cape of some sort. And his powers mainly dealt with things of a phantom nature, so to speak, more or less. He powered up about thirty seconds or so after Tina did so here well enough, then.

No more than a few minutes after Hector became Dr. Illusion, then, the seventeen assembled superhero-type characters encountered the various monsters that had decided to make their appearances well enough in the part of Tokyo they were now all in here. The first of the fighters to engage those monsters were the Outer Senshi, led by Sailor Pluto, by the way.

The Outer Senshi handled several of the monsters, but not a lot of them, before the Rangers finally started to take them out as well. Eventually, Cyberfusion scored a kill, after Soulsong, Quillmaster, and Cosmica had weakened it well enough to fall to a Nuclear Nanobot attack salvo from him well enough somehow. Cyberfusion then took out several more after X-Ray Girl and the Sleuth pinned at least a few other monsters down with various attacks of their own to a sufficient enough degree here, by the way.

The Red and Black Rangers normally teamed up with each other here against various alien monsters that'd appeared near them all rather suddenly indeed. The Pink and Green Rangers periodically did the same, as did the Blue and Yellow Rangers, for that matter. It wasn't very easy in many, yet not all, cases for them to actually take out the various monsters of various sizes, shapes, and appearances. But the Power Rangers now present in Tokyo here were still somehow able to do just that well enough, in time, well enough. It typically took them all at least a few minutes to somehow do that well enough where they now were, though. Especially due to the simple fact that they couldn't currently summon their usual mecha to help them here, by the way. For their various mecha were currently back in Angel Grove, for they were now in the process of being repaired and/or upgraded as needed, in fact.

Eventually, though, after at least three or four hours of almost-constant battle between the seventeen and at least a few hundred, if not at least a thousand or more, monsters, the seventeen were able to force their surviving opponents to withdraw from where the battle had just been fought. By the time that it was over well enough, for sure, the Outer Senshi had destroyed or incapacitated at least 500 monsters, if not more, most of them about the size of the typical Terran deer, perhaps, if not even smaller than that. The Rangers took out, either by killing or incapacitating, at least another 300 or so alien monsters of various kinds, perhaps. While the seven New Yorkers eventually took out another sixty to eighty, maybe, more or less, mostly through Cyberfusion's various attacks, including any number of his Nuclear Nanobot attack salvos. At least 200, if not at least three or four times that number, of their mutual opponents, though, got away well enough to perhaps allow them to fight another day against the Senshi and/or their various allies, much to the quite considerable dismay of most, if not all, of the seventeen superhero-type fighters here.

The seventeen of them somehow managed to keep them from causing a great deal of damage in and around the Tokyo area during the battle against them. But they were still unable to keep them from causing at least a little bit of damage in it, just the same. Fortunately, though, they were still somehow able to also keep all the civilians now in the Tokyo local area safe enough from unnecessary harm, even with at least a thousand monsters of various sizes, shapes, and/or appearances then fighting them there. Which, quite obviously enough, would probably make the Juubanites very happy indeed once they learned that quite well enough from the Outer Senshi and certain others, of course.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Kyoto and/or in the surrounding area, the Senshi and Knight-type fighters who went there with Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen soon found themselves all engaging and fighting against at least another 600 to 800 monsters of assorted kinds, et cetera, if not even more than that. The Mercurians and Zoisite worked with each other in a group against at least 100 monsters of assorted kinds, if not more, for instance, of course. Each Sailor, Knight, and General faced off in a group togther against at least 100 assorted monsters of yet-unknown kinds, if not more, in fact. While Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen took on at least double that number all by themselves, more often than not, here and now, by the way.

Periodically, though, quite naturally enough, the fourteen fighters would briefly try to find sufficient enough cover to stay in while they were either trying to reload or recoup at least some of their strength or power, of course. They all fought long and hard, by sheer necessity. Although they couldn't actually do it well enough without taking at least a few hits, if not a lot of hits, at least every so often as they still continued to fight on to the very best of their current respective abilities to do just that here and now.

Eventually, though, they were somehow able to force their surviving alien opponents to withdraw from Kyoto and its local area well enough for at least the time being. However, the just-earned victory was not achieved with them all being totally unscathed, for several of the Sailor Senshi and their accompanying Knights had been wounded and/or otherwise hurt in the fight, just the same. For instance, Sailor Jupiter's left side had been hit by at least several dozen spike-like projectiles from any number of the alien monsters she'd just fought against that'd hit her just above her hip on that side and several that had been prevented from hitting her in the chest by a rather fortunate series of events. Which somehow included a small shield of wood-edged metal that had actually diverted several of them away from her chest and onto certain courses into her left shoulder in both the front and back. If they'd have hit her chest, they might have even been able to hit her heart. But Nephlyte had suddenly thrown a small shield of some sort on a course that blocked them at least to some degree from hitting her. That shield had protected her chest, somehow. But he'd still not been able to throw it fast enough to totally protect her from those numerous spikes that'd hit her in the shoulder after being diverted by the shield he'd thrown in her direction earlier.

Sailor Jupiter would most definitely live here, by the way. But she still would be hurting at least somewhat, if not a lot, for at least some yet-unknown length of time, most likely. Especially if the spikes weren't somehow extricated or otherwise dealt with for at least a little while, of course. All the spikes that she'd been hit with then took at least an hour or two, if not even longer than that, to somehow remove sufficiently well after the battle finally ended once and for all here and now. And they all had to be removed or otherwise dealt with very carefully indeed, for sure. It ultimately took the combined efforts of Tuxedo Kamen and at least five, if not more than five, other people in their current fighting group to remove every single one of those alien-sent spikes as then needed in a safe enough and timely enough manner, for that matter. Those people, quite naturally enough, included Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight, to name just two of them here and now.

Sailor Mars had a broken right leg and assorted other injuries in various degrees of severity. Including several small to medium-sized bruises on her own lower to middle abdomen, for instance, largely gained during a rather close-quarters part of the battle with several more human-sized monsters that she'd just fought against here, at least. Yet, she too would live, just the same. And do so with many potential thanks to some especially well-timed and especially still-extensive counter-attacks from both Jadeite and Mars Knight, at least, against those numerous alien monsters who'd actually attacked her and those people that she'd just been protecting here earlier, of course.

Sailor Venus had a rather good portion indeed of her hair missing from when she'd been unable to keep several monsters from sending assorted projectiles and/or energy blasts of various kinds her way, at least, if not in any other directions as well. Especially when she'd been rather seriously defending a rather good-sized bunch of foreign tourists from assorted attacks while they'd still been touring in the Kyoto local area, in fact. She'd somehow managed to keep all of them from getting hit too severely by assorted attacks. But her hair and a rather good-size part indeed of her uniform was now missing at present. Mainly on her back and left side, for that matter, though not entirely.

Sailor Mercury had somehow been able to ultimately shield her and all those foreign tourists in time to save all their lives as well. But she still hadn't been able to do so well enough and fast enough to actually keep them from being attacked in the first place, due to any number of other monsters' attacks in and around the Kyoto local area. Malachite soon avenged those attacks with the help of Venus Knight, especially after they saw Sailor Venus still shielding a good-sized number of those foreign tourists with her own body from those very same attacks, by the way.

Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon both eventually drove off all the necessary other aliens that were still alive at the end of the battle in and around Kyoto here, somehow, of course. But not without first seeing themselves actually having to use a good deal of power from both the Golden and Silver Crystals to do just that well enough. And not without each of them also taking at least a few hits each to themselves either in defense of themselves, of those they were fighting alongside, and of those people who hadn't actually been able to fight as well in the just-ended battle here, for all the obvious reasons.

After the current battle was finally over once and for all here, for all fourteen of them, without any doubt at all, they soon found themselves all using whatever available strength they still had left to get back to the Hinata local area, or at least as close as they could get to it in such a way, quite naturally enough. They all somehow managed to teleport to somewhere near the train station that Keitaro would normally go to in order to go to Tokyo whenever he needed to, in fact. From there, they then called up Sailor Pluto. And she soon helped them out quite considerably indeed here by secretly activating a certain portal that actually would take them the rest of the way back to the Hinata Apartments' grounds, for that matter.

They all soon returned to their respective rooms on those very same grounds to the best of their respective abilities here, and remained there for quite some time trying to recover from the effects of the battle they'd just fought earlier that day. None of them were seen needlessly out of those rooms before local nightfall came for them all, for sure, in any case at all here, at the very least. If not even later than that, in fact.

* * *

Meanwhile, as at least two other groups of fighters were either preparing to fight or actually fighting numerous other monsters in and/or around Tokyo and/or Kyoto's local areas, 31 others were doing the former, at least, if not the latter, already. Two of them were not in fighting uniforms of a sort here, though, of course. But they would still defend who and what they could, if and whenever necessary and possible, just the same, for all the obvious reasons in and around the Hinata local area.

The monsters appeared about half an hour, at most, after Sailor Pluto had ended her call to the people now staying at the Hinata Apartments well enough, in fact. And the first wave was quite large, yet not very strong, as if it was just meant to see just how strong they might be. The first wave or two was more of a probe-type wave than anything else, most likely. And roughly 97 percent of the alien monsters that actually had attacked in that first wave generally fell quite easily either to the defenders of or to the automatic defense systems for the Apartments and the surrounding area, more or less. The first wave of attackers numbered roughly 100 or so monsters of various kinds here, by the way. The surviving monsters who could then retreated back for a little while to try to reload and/or recoup their strength, among other things, quite naturally enough.

The second wave of attackers had considerably more monsters of various kinds and appearances, but most of them fell in battle as well. About two or so percent of those who attacked in the second wave of attacks somehow survived well enough against them here and now, more or less. That wave's surviving members who could actually do so well enough here then retreated just like most, if not all, of the surviving monsters from the first wave had earlier done, to also try to reload and/or recoup various things for at least a little while.

Several waves of monster attacks later, all the defenders had still somehow managed to survive well enough here, in fact. But not totally unscathed, of course. For instance, several of them had been thrown against various walls for various buildings in the Hinata area, and not rather gently, of course, by any number of monsters. Several of them had taken hits from any number of monsters, and had some rather serious injuries indeed. None life-threatening, in any case, but still not good ones to have. Haruka, for at least one, if not more than one, of the defenders, had been put through at least one or two walls of the girls-only dorm on the grounds, if not even more than that, by a number of the monsters she'd been fighting against here. Several dozen animal corpses from animals summoned by Sailor Okrez and Okrez Knight also were present every so often where the battle had been raging for at least three to four hours, if not longer than that.

Eventually, after eight waves of attacks from several thousand monsters, most of them no larger than perhaps an average Terran domesticated cat, more or less, the surviving monsters retreated from the battle's area for at least a little while, if they could somehow do so well enough here. After the surviving monsters that could do so well enough then left, the defenders all began to check on each other and their various injuries, among other things, to at least some degree here, if not to a great degree. The battle they'd just been part of here ultimately ended at sometime near 7:15 pm local time, in fact, just before any number of other sentient beings eventually began returning from certain other battle locations elsewhere in Japan to the Hinata local area.

They eventually returned to the main building for the Apartments, and attended to their respective injuries there, if they weren't already there in the first place. It took them at least some time, though, to attend to all those injuries quite well enough, if they possibly could do just that somehow. And some of them even perhaps required at least some medical attention from local medical personnel at one or more nearby medical facilities, for that matter.

Everyone was then taken care of sufficiently well as needed, no matter where they were when they were, by no later than 9:45 pm local time, in any case at all. And after that became the case well enough for them all here, they all eventually returned to the Apartments' grounds. Everyone was then back on them by no later than 10:30 or so at night, in any case at all, for sure, though.

A somewhat quick meal later for them all, courtesy of Makoto, by the way, they all eventually returned to their respective rooms on the grounds and went to sleep in them fairly quickly and fairly easily indeed. This, of course, was for all the obvious reasons here, and perhaps even some that weren't so obvious here. Either to them or to others who were now present anywhere else at all in the Hinata local area of Japan, for that matter, in fact. And so they slept.

* * *

Meanwhile, the nine now-married travelers from the Hinata Apartments were now in Honolulu, Hawaii. They landed in Honolulu at 1:30 in the morning of July 3, 1993, local time, in fact. After they did, they eventually left the Honolulu International Airport for a nearby hotel, specifically one called _The Royal Hawaiian_, and they were there and in their rooms sufficiently well by no later than 2:30 in the morning. Not too long after that, they were each asleep in several beds in five rooms. Keitaro had one room to himself, while two ladies were in each of the other four rooms the party rented for their temporary use while still in the Honolulu local area. The eight ladies now traveling with Keitaro ultimately paired up in those other four now-rented hotel rooms as follows, by the way: Shinobu and Surya, Mutsumi and Chandra, Kaolla and Mitsune, and Motoko and Koushoku. Everyone had climbed into their respective beds and fallen quite soundly asleep in them no more than half an hour after each of them had entered their respective rooms, for that matter. Even the former Kaolla Su did so, much to Mitsune's great surprise, for Kaolla was often known to be rather difficult for other people to wear out well enough in their lives, quite naturally enough.

They all slept until 9:30 in the morning, Honolulu local time, at the very latest. Some of them actually woke up at least an hour or so before that, if not even earlier than that, but they were all most definitely awake by no later than that time, in any case at all. That was due in large part, if not entirely, to certain hotel personnel calling up to each of their rooms with previously-requested wake-up calls. Then they all quickly dressed and went down to the hotel's main cafeteria area for their own respective breakfasts, not too much later. Which they'd all eat with each other sometime later in the morning, or early afternoon, probably, as they then explored the Honolulu local area, for that matter. The eight young ladies quickly congregated briefly with each other in Shinobu and Surya's room as they all got ready for the day ahead of them here, and as Keitaro was doing that as well. While the ladies were all getting ready for the day with each other, then, Kaolla said, "It seems that of the eight of us, Shinobu, Motoko, and I, at least, will have to undergo the process we mentioned earlier to Keitaro and many others." She said that here and now, even as she also scanned each of them for at least a few moments apiece with a certain device she'd somehow earlier sneaked past airport security well enough, having somehow rather cleverly disguised it as a science textbook with solid-looking holographic technology from Molmol, in fact.

Shinobu then thought about that for a few moments as she helped Koushoku out by brushing her hair while Koushoku was putting on some makeup, before asking Kaolla, "Do you have a better idea just what the effects of such a process might be for those of us who undergo it among the eight of us, then?"

"If my beliefs here are sufficiently accurate, for every week the process might speed up your body's maturation process here, we may possibly each lose at least one month, on average, from our own respective mortal lives unless a suitable enough antidote is found, made, and used in time, Shinobu-chan. At least in terms where we'd each perhaps not be at least eighteen years old in a physical enough and biological enough sense, that is. With you being the youngest of us eight young ladies here, you then will perhaps lose the most time from what you probably would have if you didn't undergo the particular process in question here. I myself will perhaps lose the second-most time of us all, if memory serves me well enough here. I really don't know just how much time Motoko will most likely lose, if she undergoes this particular process as well, but she may also lose at least some time, if not a lot of time, here, at least temporarily, if not permanently, from her own mortal life."

"I see, Kaolla," Shinobu eventually said. "Well, if that's so, and I actually do somehow lose at least a year or two from my own mortal life, due to going through this likely-necessary process here, then so be it. Just so long as I am able to do what ultimately needs to be done by me in our quest to save at least Senpai, if not others as well, I am fully willing to make that potential sacrifice of at least part of my life here and now, if I must."

"As am I, Shinobu. What about you, then, Motoko? Are you in with us or not, by any chance?"

"Yes, I suppose I am. And I suppose I must undergo it soon, before I can change my mind well enough here, for that matter, Kaolla-chan," answered Motoko, a few rather brief moments later.

"When will the process begin, then?" asked Koushoku.

"As soon as we each take a tablet with some sort of non-alcoholic beverage, preferably some sort of fruit juice, water, or milk, Koushoku, I think. And most certainly within no more than ten minutes after that time, in any case at all, if my, Steve, Ami, and Ryo's calculations are accurate enough. The four of us each ran several simulations on a few computers now in my lab before you other ladies, me, and Keitaro all left the Apartments for this trip here. And we four even tested it on some semi-sentient robots I then had on hand who largely, if not entirely, resembled us all in any way other than them actually being sentient biological beings, you see, in fact"

Koushoku thought about that for at least a few rather brief seconds, and then said, "I hope you three know just what you'd each be doing here, for all the obvious reasons here, of course."

"As do I, and as I'm sure that Motoko and Shinobu do, for that matter. But evidently, this needs to be done very soon. Otherwise, it may be too late to do what needs to be done in time, I think," said Kaolla.

Shinobu then said, "If it needs to be done, then, Kaolla, let's get to it. For time is precious, especially when it comes to Keitaro here, no doubt."

"As you wish, Shinobu. Kitsune, we need three tall glasses of suitable non-alcoholic drinks within the next five minutes, then. Please get them for us, okay?"

"I'm on it." Kitsune then hurried briefly out of the room they were all in, and went to the nearest water fountain with three collapsible plastic glasses from her purse just as quickly as she possibly could. Three minutes later, as Kaolla pulled a bottle of tablets out of her own purse that she'd filled before leaving Japan, Kitsune returned with three tall glasses of water. Quickly distributing the necessary tablets from that bottle between Shinobu, Motoko, and herself, Kaolla said, "Hopefully these tablets will work well enough for us all here. If they do, then we should each be sufficiently synchronized with our respective mental ages within about 24 hours from now, more or less, you two. At least that's what I'm hoping here, of course."

The necessary tablets were distributed as needed by about ten minutes to 10 am local time. Once they were, Kaolla soon said, "I suggest we three all take our tablets now, and hope for the best, then, Shinobu."

"Very well. We shall take them precisely at 9:50 am local time here," said Shinobu. Thirty seconds after that, then, all three of the currently-applicable ladies here took their respective tablets as needed here quite well enough, and draining each of their respective tall glasses of water quite easily and quite quickly indeed. The process to speed up each of their respective bodies' maturation process at least a little bit, if not a lot, began immediately, just as expected by them all. But the various effects of its just-begun execution wouldn't actually become apparent well enough as long as they each remained awake on the current day. At least not to themselves or any number of others, anyway. While they each still remained awake, then, they each would appear to look exactly as old as they now were officially in their respective mortal lives, somehow. For the various effects sufficiently related to the enhanced maturation process that had just begun for them all to actually begin to surface well enough, then, they'd each have to be asleep for a long enough time, and that wasn't likely to happen until they were all once again in the air, and flying off towards the American mainland, perhaps.

Once their glasses were cleaned as needed, and stashed away again as needed, they soon exited Shinobu and Surya's room, so that they could all collect Keitaro from his own rented room here, of course. Five minutes after that, then, at most, Keitaro exited his room with all eight of his brand-new wives. Two minutes later, by some unexpected stroke of good fortune, perhaps, all nine of them were downstairs in the hotel's main cafeteria, and ordering their own respective breakfasts for the day out with each other in the Honolulu local area. After all the necessary food and drink items were collected quite well enough, Keitaro and his eight still-secret wives then hailed three taxis for their trip to Waikiki Beach, if the need actually arose for them to do so sufficiently well here. The first taxi took Keitaro, Motoko, and Surya. The second, Shinobu, Mitsune, and Chandra. And the third, Mutsumi, Koushoku, and Mitsune.

No more than ten or so minutes after that, then, all three taxis were at Waikiki Beach, and Chandra saw to the cab fare for all three taxis as appropriate enough here, deciding to help her new husband out at least a little financially here, by the way. They all soon found an excellent place to be on the beach, and began to enjoy themselves on it as best as they could. Keitaro, for instance, took out some of his drawing gear and began to at least sketch his wives as they often played with each other or found other things to do with each other well enough at the current time.

He sketched and drew for at least an hour, if not even longer, until hunger began to hit well enough for him and his wives. When it did, he then stowed away his drawing gear, of course, and soon found his wives in a picnic shelter-type area on the beach. By the time he got to where they each were now on it, Kaolla was beginning to get at least a little bit antsy, mainly because Shinobu wouldn't let her dig into some food that they'd gotten earlier. This was the case here, quite naturally enough, for all the obvious reasons here, at least as it pertained to her and anyone else in their current traveling party of nine young people.

Shinobu only let everyone else dig in after Keitaro had seated himself well enough where he chose to sit, and after Keitaro had decided to pray over everyone's food and drink like he had already seen Rolando and/or Sylvia do at least once before, if not more than that. He decided to do it on the spur-of-the-moment, but he still did so, just the same, here and now. Once he did so well enough, and set his hands back down on the necessary table here, Shinobu then took it as a sign from him that everyone else could now dig into their food here as they so wished to, in fact. As they each consumed their respective food and drink items, they began to converse at some length with each other, of course, here and now.

They had their breakfasts with each other from about 11:30 in the morning to about 12:15 in the afternoon, Honolulu local time, and then decided to just do whatever came to each of their minds after doing so. No matter what it was, just so long as it was sufficiently safe enough and legal enough to do for any or all of them, of course, they still did so, just the same. For instance, they decided to stroll with each other on the beach for a while, where they even found a pre-4th of July carnival of sorts in progress.

They soon decided to participate in a number of the activities related to that carnival, and won a few things at it periodically. Not a lot of things, in truth, for each of them, but at least one thing for each of them at it, if not more than just one thing for each of them, just the same. For instance, Keitaro and Motoko each won a few stuffed animals for Shinobu's still-growing collection of such things, mainly with target-shooting games, if not with any other possible kinds of games. Koushoku got a prize for ringing a bell multiple times at the carnival by smacking a pad below that bell of some sort not with a hammer, but with her bare hands, believe it or not. Kitsune won at least one for telling various jokes and/or short stories to people at sufficiently-related activities at it here, if not more than one. Kaolla won a few for winning a few eating and/or drinking contests easily enough, largely due, if not entirely due, to her usually hearty appetite for food and drink items in her own mortal life. Shinobu actually won some all by herself for whipping up some rather excellent food on very short notice, without any prior preparation on her part for the contest or contests in question before she actually entered it or them here. Mutsumi eventually took at least one for somehow managing to state and show just where certain locations actually were in the known world whenever she was questioned well enough about them by a somewhat well-known game show host then taping an actual game show episode at that carnival. Chandra won at least one prize, if not more than one, of her very own during it for imagining, designing, and making five eight-foot-square quilts in a period of no more than three hours. And Surya even took a few as well for imagining, designing, and making several pieces of jewelry or other metal-related work out of a certain allotment of supplies provided to her when she entered a metal-working competition for it as well, in no more than three hours, for that matter.

Eventually, they each gathered up all their things, whether old or new, and quickly returned to their hotel of the day, of course. They quickly dealt with all the things they then had to deal with at it, no matter what they were, and were all checked out of the hotel again well enough by no later than 5 in the late afternoon of Saturday, July 3, 1993, Honolulu local time. They all left _The Royal Hawaiian_'s premises in three taxis, just as they'd all done when they'd all gone to Waikiki Beach with each other earlier in the day, and all nine of them were actually in the air again sufficiently well here by no later than 6 pm Honolulu local time, in any case, for sure.

* * *

Meanwhile, as the nine travelers were in the process of departing from Honolulu on their next flight, back in the Hinata local area, it was nearly 1 pm on Sunday, July 4, 1993, local time. Several people were in the hot springs with each other, including, for instance, Midori, Usagi, Sylvia, and Reika. Certain others of at least their acquaintance, if not of quite close association, for any or all of them, of course, were otherwise occupied anywhere else in the local area, if not anywhere else on the grounds, for that matter.

Usagi asked, as she sipped from a milkshake that Makoto had made her not long before, "Reika, when can we perhaps expect you and Motoki to get married, if at all possible?"

"He hasn't yet asked me, by mutual agreement. And we don't want to be married at least until we get out of college. At least as undergraduates, if not as graduate students. Noriyasu-san thinks we should get hitched soon, from what he's previously gathered just by seeing us together around here, at least, But we both told him that we're not going to rush things with each other any more than we have to, given how different our respective lives are from each other. Meaning Toki-kun's and mine, of course, Usagi-chan."

"And what did he have to say about that?" asked Midori.

"He accepted it, but still said that if we waited too long to make a permanent commitment to either get engaged or married, we might eventually regret it. Noriyasu-san hoped that wouldn't ever become the case for us, but he also said that there was at least one old girlfriend in his past that he was seriously considering the possibility of marriage with, if not more than one, when he was quite a bit younger than he is now, Midori-chan."

"Oh, really, Reika-san?" asked Sylvia.

"Yes, Sylvia-chan. You do know that young blonde girl who often hangs around with Haruka-san and him, don't you?"

"At least a little bit, at least indirectly, if not directly, Reika-san. What about her?"

"She is the daughter of one of his former girlfriends and/or co-workers. He is not actually her biological father, mind you, but the two of them quite often are seen together whenever he's not off on an archeological dig anywhere, it seems to me. Her name is Sarah McDougal, by the way. She seems to come by here periodically with Noriyasu-san and/or Keitaro-kun and/or Haruka-san, just so you know."

"That's right," said Haruka Urashima, as she suddenly walked into the hot springs area along with Zoisite, who had decided to drop by there for at least a little while, if not a long while, before a short meeting with Ami and Ryo, at least, if not others as well. Both women soon took seats in the hot springs near each other and the four young women already mentioned, in fact. There were at least a few other young ladies in the hot springs area at present, but they weren't actually in the respective fields of vision of any of those near enough to Usagi in it now. Instead, those other young women were off behind at least one rock elsewhere in it, for that matter.

Haruka and Zoisite eventually joined the conversation that Usagi had been having with Midori, Sylvia, and Reika here at some length. And they periodically conversed with each other and the four aforementioned young ladies for a little while, while generally doing so in a rather pleasant manner indeed here, in fact. At least that was what they did in the hot springs area until Kagome's voice reached their ears from elsewhere in the hot springs area.

Kagome yelled, quite loudly indeed, while she and at least a few others then near her in their current part of the hot springs still held rather large towels around themselves as needed here, "Oh, my word! What in the blazes are you all doing here now?" Now in front of her and those various other people sufficiently near her in their current part of the hot springs were two versions of Kaede, Kikyo, and Sesshomaru. Not to mention a second version of Ginkuro, along with Miroku, Shippo, Kilala, Kohaku, Kouga, Ayame, Rin, Jaken, Hojo, and Sota, at least, if not any number of others as well. They all had suddenly appeared there virtually out of thin air without any advance warning prior to doing so, in fact, for at least one, if not more than just one, reason that'd hopefully become quite clear to many of the sentient beings who were now present there very shortly indeed, most likely. [AN: In this story and/or in sufficiently-related ones, the ones who are at least part-demons, if not full-demons, on Kagome's side of the conflict against are fully human at all times. Even Jaken, by the way, who'll then seem to be a young boy more or less about Sota's age, but actually be more or less just about the same age as Kagome and Sango, for example. For those on Kagome's side of things who I have used, am using, or will use, who have such ancestry in their canonical histories, at least in terms of the _Inuyasha_ franchise's canon, this will remain the case for at least as long as they are in this story, I think. Just so you all know this well enough here, everyone. Now let's get back to the story, if we may, with no further ado, so to speak.]

Older Kaede soon spoke, after at least another five to ten minutes had passed for everyone now on the Apartments' grounds, and once everyone else on them was dressed decently enough there, "Child, it has begun. Naraku has now allied himself with a strange group not apparently of either of our worlds, in the hopes that an alliance, however temporary or permanent it may be, will eventually help him acquire the entire Shikon no Tama, AKA the Jewel of Four Souls. For those of us not of this time, we were sent here when we fell into a well much like the one that allows thee to travel between thy time and our time during a battle for shards of the Shikon no Tama."

She paused for a moment, in order to briefly sip from a tea cup that Kagome had just brought her, and then continued, "The well in question somehow protected us all at least long enough to allow us to escape from him and his minions at least temporarily, if not permanently. As for those of thy knowledge from this time, they were all in what thou wouldst call a city park, apparently from what my namesake of this time told me earlier, along with many others, but thy mother and thy grandfather were actually not with them. The well that we all entered in our time was located in the middle of the park that those of this time were in. And we all appeared quite suddenly indeed in a moderately-sized garden area of that park near them all. They weren't necessarily in that part of the park in question then, mind thee, but they were still quite near us in the park, just the same. As thou canst see, those of thy knowledge from our time have obviously changed their looks quite considerably indeed."

Kagome then took a quite good and quite long look around here, and she soon saw that Older Kaede was quite right. For instance, the quite-human-looking Kouga was in a mostly brown and black sweater that bore an ironed-on wolf's head on the front of it, with black half-leather/half-denim jeans and a mostly black motorcycle jacket and motorcycle-type boots to match his wolf's head-decorated sweater. Miroku was in a mostly purple hooded sweatshirt with the hood down and a horizontal pocket in front, and the words "Am I Kissable Or Not?" on it. Both now-present versions of Sesshomaru were quite human-looking, at least, and the one from the Feudal Era was in a mostly maroon and white outfit, while the one from the present time was in a mostly light purple and dark blue one. As for everyone else who was humanoid enough and from the Feudal Era except for Older Kaede and Younger Kikyo, they all were basically in more modern clothes than the two Kaedes and two Kikyos were in, generally speaking, in fact. And as for Kilala, she appeared to be just about the size of Luna and Artemis here, more or less, but with only one big tail of suitable enough length and bushiness. However, her markings were still exactly the same as they normally were for her in the Feudal Era, just the same.

The ensuing conversation between everyone who was then on the Hinata Apartments' grounds soon found itself lasting for most, if not all, of the rest of the day and/or night, and the second version of Ginkuro present here now was soon called Kurogin, simply by reversing certain elements in Ginkuro's name, in terms of where they then were placed in his near-twin's name. While the Feudal Era Sesshomaru was called Yutokagi, the Feudal Era Kaede was called Miyudoko, and the Feudal Era Kikyo was called Yuminaki. Everyone else from the Feudal Era kept their names as they were, whether or not they had known surnames to Kagome in them, however.

Yutokagi was to use the Akai surname, while Miyudoko and Yuminaki were to use the Musashi surname, as necessary, of course. Yutokagi appeared now to be about 25 years old, more or less, so he wouldn't likely be seen as going to school anywhere. Or at least not for the time being, anyway. As for Miyudoko, she now appeared to be somewhere around 60 years old, more or less, and she still had a patch over her right eye from an old battle-related injury of hers. While Yuminaki had the current appearance of someone who was about 15 or so years old. So she would most likely have to go to high school somewhere in the near future, if her stay in the present time period lasted long enough. At least for now, quite naturally enough.

Eventually, Haruka then saw to at least temporary lodgings for all the people now on the grounds here, for all the obvious reasons here, wherever and whenever needed and/or appropriate enough here, of course. Kurogin and Sesshomaru were soon placed with Yuuichirou, Kouga and Miroku with Shinozaki, Kohaku Meyu and Sota with Mamoru, Jaken and Shippo with Ryo, Hojo with Kohaku Kumada, Yutokagi with Ginkuro, Miyudoko, Kikyo, and Kilala with Sango, and Yuminaki, Kaede, Rin, and Ayame with Kagome. After Haruka had seen to the assigning of temporary lodgings for all the new people at it that needed places to stay for at least the time being here, she eventually said, "Chiba-san, I must say that I really do hope that your various construction-type people will actually be able to do what Keitaro told his primary tenants you'd be able to do, at least in terms of the construction of and/or the renovating of certain buildings here, if not in any other terms as well, of course."

"Our construction-type people will begin work here on these grounds on Wednesday morning at 9 am, if that's all right with you here quite well enough, Haruka-san. While we're still working on everything that then needs to be worked on here, everyone from here will be moved at least temporarily to a certain newly-built hotel complex we've recently opened for business somewhere quite near here. And all the necessary items will be placed as needed and as possible in a very large storage complex of sorts, for that matter. If our various enemies don't somehow actually cause our people who'd be working around here too much trouble, while we're still working on all of the necessary things here, we should hopefully then have these very same grounds fully taken care of by the time that Keitaro and his eight wives return here with each other. At least, that's the plan here for us all, of course, anyway."

"So what do you suggest we all do, then, tomorrow, Chiba-san?"

"We all will need to begin removing all non-essential and sufficiently portable items on these grounds, so that the construction workers might then have at least a bit more room and/or freedom to work around here as needed. My associates can certainly attend to their own things, and I can surely attend to mine. However, it seems to me that for you and the various others who've been here the longest of us all, at least, you then will most likely have to see to their numerous things' handling all by yourself, more or less, if I'm not too mistaken here and now."

"Lovely. Just lovely. Just what I really wanted to do! And how I really wanted to have to spend at least a little time while Keitaro and his new wives were elsewhere in the world!"

"I believe my Generals and any number of others I know quite well indeed would be quite willing to help you out at least to some degree, if not to a great degree, if you weren't too opposed to the idea here, Haruka-san."

"I'll keep that in mind for at least a little while, and let you know what I've decided later about that possibility here, if you don't mind too much here, Chiba-san."

"That's perfectly fine with me, Haruka-san. Take whatever time you need and that you can to decide, and then get back to me. Good night, then. I'm going to bed now, and I hope we can do a really good job on things here, of course. That's if and when we're able to do so well enough here, by the way."

"Agreed, Chiba-san. Good night, then, as you said just now."

Then Haruka was soon left alone in the kitchen area nursing a bit of Earl Grey tea still in a cup currently in her hands. She remained there for quite some time, considering the quite considerably-changed circumstances from how things had been not more than three or four weeks ago, perhaps. Needless to say, of course, she was most certainly not pleased with many, if not most or all, of them. And she soon resolved, just before placing her cup in a nearby sink, to get everyone up and beginning to handle certain things by no later than 9:30 am the following morning, if at all possible, for that matter. With that done, she then hurried as quickly as she could to Keitaro's room, changed as quickly as she could for bed, and was quite soundly asleep on a futon there no more than ten minutes or so after entering his room again to sleep in it.

* * *

Meanwhile, by the time that Haruka went to bed in Keitaro's room for the night, the nine traveling Urashimas had already landed in St. Louis, Missouri, elsewhere in the United States. By the time that it was ten at night the same date in Japan, Keitaro and the rest of his current companions had already landed at and left St. Louis's International Airport sufficiently well. They were all far away enough from the airport by no later than 7 am local time, which translated to no later than 9 pm Japan time, in fact.

Led by Chandra and Surya, who were both considerably much more familiar with the area in and around St. Louis, for reasons they'd not yet needed or wanted to share in their respective lives, the nine soon holed up briefly in a hotel. At least long enough to get themselves quick showers and change their clothes as needed or desired here for all of them, anyway. After which, they were in various outfits in various colors and styles, quite obviously enough, and meeting each other outside his room in their current hotel.

Keitaro now wore a plaid long-sleeved shirt, a pair of blue jeans, black shoes, a sports-themed necktie, and a brown cowboy hat. When all nine of his wives saw that outfit well enough here, they were at least somewhat surprised, quite naturally enough. So much so, that it eventually drew a question from Motoko, that question being, "Where in the world did you find those clothes, Urashima?"

"I had most of its parts already. I got the tie and hat in the novelty shop on the way up here, Motoko-chan, though, just so you all know this quite well enough here. You see, Chandra-san here dared me to buy the tie and hat, and to keep her from making a scene, I bought it. As for the plaid shirt, I got it in Honolulu near the airport, mainly at Mitsune and Kaolla's insistence. I know, it may look quite freaky, but still, I bought those things so that they wouldn't draw too many other people's interests towards us, in fact," answered Keitaro, as he began to study the outfits that each of his wives were now wearing, for that matter.

Shinobu now wore an indigo sweatshirt, a pair of dark green slacks, and a pair of loafers. Her accessories here also included a silk scarf and a Chiba Lotte Marines baseball cap that nobody from Hinata had yet seen her in, most likely. What most of the people that she knew to date in her own life didn't yet know was that her own father had once played for the franchise that now known as the Chiba Lotte Marines before they officially had become the Marines. Sometime during his playing career, though, her parents eventually had started having any number of marital problems with each other, and ultimately had decided to divorce, thinking that might actually help certain things in their and in Shinobu's lives. Not too much later, then, Shinobu had come to the Hinata Apartments, where she'd lived ever since her first day there as a tenant in them.

"Senpai, do you like my outfit, by any chance?" asked Shinobu, as she briefly then ran her fingers over her recently-bought sweatshirt to brush away a few bits of dust that had collected near her waist just above its hem. With that actually done well enough to suit her, she soon picked up a purse that matched her sweatshirt near where they were all now with each other, and hung it across her body from her left shoulder to her right hip as she then saw fit to.

"It's very good-looking, Shinobu-chan. It looks great on you. Though I wouldn't actually have pegged you for a baseball fan, it seems to me."

"There's quite a lot that you still don't know about me, Senpai. And not just you, but many other people in my live still don't know as much about me as they may think they do. Just like most people probably don't know a great deal about Mutsumi, for example, in their lives or hers, for that matter." She briefly glanced at Keitaro and Mutsumi, and then at the others now with her here, before continuing, "That outfit of Mutsumi's is quite interesting as well, I think, by the way, Senpai."

Mutsumi was now wearing a light green blouse and a pair of matching slippers. While her current outfit's accessories included a wide belt with an appropriately-sized buckle for it, a fishing hat, and clip-on earrings. Her earrings were in the approximate shape of turtles, quite naturally enough.

"I suppose so, Shinobu-chan. Kaolla's outfit is quite interesting as well here, I figure. Though I'm not quite sure about everything that she's now wearing here, to tell you the truth here well enough."

Kaolla was now wearing a mostly blue-green short-sleeved shirt with a pair of matching pants, not to mention a reasonably decent pair of shoes, by the way, here. Her accessories currently included an ancient-looking set of earrings and a boater hat. She said, "Kei-Baby, I'm wearing these particular earrings for a certain reason that you hopefully will never actually know well enough. Or at least not for a very long time, if ever, anyway. I will say, though, that reason will have at least something to do with all of us, just the same. I wish I didn't have to keep that reason secret from you for at least a little while yet, if not forever, but I still do, unfortunately."

"I see, Kaolla-chan. Well, if you can't actually tell me, you can't tell me. You have a right to keep certain secrets from me if you must and if you can, of course, Munchkin."

"I don't want to here, but it seems I have to, just the same. At least for now, anyway. In the meantime, what do you think of Motoko's somewhat uncharacteristic outfit here, by any chance, Kei-Baby?"

Keitaro then looked at Motoko here, and soon recognized sufficiently well here that she was now wearing a modernized red tunic with dark brown accents and a pair of sandals. Motoko's current accessories included a narrow belt and a knit cap, to name just two not often-worn parts of her current outfit here. Either on her own person or in her own Sailor Senshi subspace pocket of sorts, she actually had available to her any number of generally small-sized weapons. At least for the most part, if not entirely, anyway. Even in her hair, which she'd suddenly decided to wear up in a medium-sized bun with a few short braids streaming from it here, for that matter.

"Wow, Motoko, you look fabulous! Whatever made you change your usual look to something like this, if I might ask you this?"

"Well, I don't know for sure, but I suddenly got this urge to do something that I wouldn't likely ever do back in Japan, I think. Hence, this look here and now, Urashima."

"I love that look, Motoko-chan. What about the rest of you ladies?" Everyone else nodded their quite considerable approval of Motoko's look here, by the way.

Koushoku soon said, "You're right, Keitaro, she DOES look fabulous. True, it's not her usual style, but it looks really great on her, just the same." As for Koushoku herself, she was now wearing a yellow blouse, an orange skirt, and a pair of burgundy slippers. Her own current accessories included stud-style rhinestone earrings and a middle to late 1940's-style wide-brimmed burgundy fedora with a narrow band mostly in saffron yellow all the way around it, by the way.

"What about you yourself, Koushoku? You're not looking too bad here yourself," said Kitsune, who was now wearing a dark blue tank-style top, a medium-length plaid skirt with mostly lavender trimming and piping wherever and whenever appropriate, and a pair of mostly bronze-colored sandals. Her own current accessories here included a pair of average-sized seashell earrings and an analog-style wristwatch, in fact.

"I don't know about that. But if you wore the shirt that Keitaro now has on with the skirt you're now wearing, you'd probably look rather good-looking yourself, as well, whether or not I actually am looking good here and now, Kitsune-chan. At least I think so, anyway. You're not much for flamboyant outfits, I think, unlike Kaolla here, but you sure do like to party, as I'm sure you can still agree here, just the same."

"Yes, I suppose I do have a rather well-earned reputation for partying, but since all this insane and unnecessary junk started up for all of us in our lives, I've really not been much, if at all, for partying, for all the obvious reasons here and now, Koushoku-chan."

"True enough, it seems to me. Although I am missing the old Kitsune quite a bit now, I still think that it's good that you're not hitting the booze anymore like you once did, Mitsune-chan," said Koushoku.

"When Keitaro and everyone else who was zapped by those cowardly aliens are saved well enough, if at all possible, then I perhaps will consider partying at least a little bit like I used to, everyone. But until then, at least, if not forever, I definitely will not party again like I have previously been known to party in my life, to as much of a degree as I used to, Koushoku."

Chandra, who was now in an old-fashioned white tunic with red and blue accents, a pair of shoes, a waist-length cape, and a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap, said, "My cousin and I don't really know you all very well, if at all, just yet. But if and when our current quest to save him, and perhaps many others, is completed sufficiently well, somehow, perhaps we'll both actually join in with you all then, Mitsune-san. Providing that we all survive well enough, of course, that is. God willing, anyway."

"I think we'd all like that very much, wouldn't we, ladies?" asked Kitsune of all her long-time friends from the Hinata local area of Japan. They all soon nodded their agreements with that query of hers here, quite naturally enough here. Even Keitaro, of course.

Surya, who was then wearing an orange short-sleeved shirt, a yellow skirt, a pair of Greco-Roman-style sandals, a pair of hoop earrings, and a straw hat, soon said, "If we're going to see the Gateway Arch here in this city well enough before the game this afternoon, we'd perhaps best be on our way to it soon, I think."

Seeing that she was most likely right, and that it was quickly approaching 7:45 in the morning of Sunday, July 4, 1993, then, all nine of them soon left their hotel for the somewhat nearby Gateway Arch. It was at least a little while, if not a long while, before they all got there well enough, whether on foot or by taxi. But they were there by no later than 8:15 am, in any case at all here. They quickly bought their tickets, and eventually got up to the top of the Arch, quite naturally enough.

When they got up to the top of it, they soon found themselves all in an observation area of sorts, and looking first to the east, and then to the west. Off to the east, they saw a very good distance into Illinois, like on the order of at least 35 to 40, if not at least 50, Terran statute miles. What they generally saw to the east of the Arch and across the Mississippi River was a lot of generally flat and considerably undeveloped terrain. Or at least it generally appeared to them to be considerably undeveloped and/or semi-deserted terrain at the present time, anyway, as if that part of Illinois had evidently not seen good times for at least a few years, if not for a very long time.

When they looked off towards the west, however, what they saw was quite different from what they'd all generally seen while looking off towards the east. Where the specific part of Illinois that they'd all seen for at least a few brief moments, if not even longer than that, was apparently quite run-down and/or undeveloped, as far as they could all tell here, off to the west, where the greater portion of Missouri generally was, there was much more obvious development and prosperity visible for all nine of them. Yes, the surrounding terrain for the Missouri part of the local area was generally flat, at least topographically speaking, more or less, just like the majority of the nearby Illinois part for the local area was. But it was evidently much more built-up than the Illinois part now was.

Most, if not all, of downtown St. Louis, including Union Station, was directly to the west of where they all now were in the Arch. Off to the southwest, they saw Souyard Market and Checkerboard Square, at least, if not even more than that. Somewhat south of that, there was Anheuser-Busch and the Monsanto Krummerich plant. While off to the northwest, they saw the Cervantes Convention Center, more of downtown St. Louis, and the majority, if not all, of the campus for the University of Missouri at St. Louis. They also saw at a few, if not a lot of, planes somewhat near the airport they'd landed at, whether landing and/or departing, mainly.

They viewed the St. Louis area for at least ten or so minutes on both sides, before eventually deciding to move along, talking all the while periodically with each other. Soon enough, though, they were at the bottom of the Arch on the side opposite the one they entered it on. Not too much after that, they soon found themselves in an interpretive center and/or gift/novelty shop of some sort, and began to buy themselves various souvenirs related to their visiting of the Arch. For instance, several small flags, including the city's official flag, in fact. Also, Shinobu, at least, if not anyone else in their party bought themselves assorted earrings and/or shirts, to name just a few of the St. Louis-related things they then bought there as needed or desired.

Eventually, they all left the grounds of the Gateway Arch reasonably behind them and then headed off towards Busch-Jefferson Stadium, the multiple-purpose home of the St. Louis Cardinals professional baseball and football teams in Major League Baseball and the National Football League, respectively. With it actually being the month of July at the present time, the stadium was currently in its usual baseball configuration. As they each then walked to the stadium, then, they also explored the area lying between it and the Arch. And, eventually, they all came to Stadium Plaza, which completely surrounded the stadium. For at least a little while, they all walked around the entire stadium before entering it somewhere near a certain statue of one of the most famous, if not the most famous, players in the baseball team's quite long and quite storied history of just over a century, more or less. And most specifically near a granite statue of someone called Frederick Ulsami, who'd played for them for many years, running from about 1940, more or less, to about 1965, more or less. Give or take, perhaps, a few years at the very most either way on either end of his career, in fact. They all entered the stadium through its Gate A, and eventually found seats for themselves on the third-base side of the stadium, for that matter.

Their seats were about halfway between third base and home plate, more or less, and about twenty rows back, perhaps. As a middle-aged male usher saw them all to their rather red seats, as needed, based on the locations shown on their respective tickets, they all saw several players from both the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals getting ready for the game as needed here, quite naturally enough. Most especially the Cardinals who'd most likely be playing in that day's game, of course.

It took them all at least a few minutes, if not even longer than that, to settle into their respective seats quite well enough, but eventually they all were settled into them sufficiently well. Especially for Kitsune and Mutsumi here and now, in fact. They all periodically watched everyone on the field prepare for the game as needed, and soon saw some people come out with various flags and other things, just before the United States national anthem was sung at home plate by a still-young American country singer by the name of Lionel Cartwright. Lionel Cartwright took just a few minutes, perhaps, at most, to sing the Star-Spangled Banner, after which he soon left the field as needed here, the necessary lineup cards were exchanged, and everyone else who didn't need to be on the field at the current time soon left it as well.

Once the field was cleared as necessary here, the home-plate umpire, one Shiloh Judah Zion Klem, soon yelled out, in English, "Play Ball!" As he did so, the Cubs and Cardinals' respective starting lineups were shown on the main scoreboard behind the center field wall quite some distance away from home plate.

As they were, Chandra took them down quite well indeed here so that everyone else in her current traveling party would then know just who was starting for either team here and now sufficiently well, by the way. The Cubs had ultimately decided to go with a starting lineup for this particular game which consisted of the following players: Jacob Sandberg, batting first and playing at second base; Garth Williams, batting second and playing in left field; Hiram Wilson, batting third and playing in center field; Noah Banks, batting fourth and playing at shortstop; Adam Durham, batting fifth and playing at first base; Joaquin Ramirez, batting sixth and playing at third base; Jonas Hartsel, batting seventh and playing in right field; Graham Berryhill, batting eighth and playing behind the plate as the catcher; and Peter Brown, batting ninth and pitching for the Cubs as their starting pitcher. As for the Cardinals, their starting lineup was as follows: Bernard Brock, batting first and playing in left field; Sagi Suzuki, batting second and playing in right field; Zebulon Musial, batting third and playing at first base for once; Arturo Pujols, batting fourth and playing at third base; Salem Polanco, batting fifth and playing at second base; Harold McCarver, batting sixth and making his major-league debut behind the plate as the catcher for the Cardinals; Booker McGee, batting seventh and playing in center field; Merlin Smith, batting eighth and playing at shortstop, and Abraham Gibson, batting ninth and pitching for the Cardinals as their starting pitcher.

No more than perhaps a few more minutes later, then, Gibson delivered the game's very first pitch, which was a four-seam fastball up and in to the Cubs' second baseman Sandberg. Eventually, though, on a 2-2 count, and after three fouls, mostly to the first-base side of home plate, Sandberg struck out on a barely belt-high inside two-seam fastball. Williams soon did the same, but on the next at-bat's fourth pitch, including one foul, when Gibson threw him a curveball that was up and in near the very top of his strike zone, just above the nearest part of the plate. Wilson went down himself just six pitches later on a count of 1-2, when Gibson fooled him on another two-seam fastball perhaps just at about knee-level, more or less. So the Cubs went down in order in the top of the first, but not necessarily without a fight, so to speak.

The Cardinals started out the bottom of the first inning with a line-drive single into left field on the first pitch to Brock. Suzuki bunted towards third base, also on the first pitch, and Ramirez overran the ball as he was then moving to field it. Which somewhat easily indeed then allowed Brock to go to third, due to Banks actually covering second base and Sandberg first. Brown and Berryhill both couldn't get to third in time, due to Suzuki's near-perfect bunt towards third from the left-handed batter's box. So the Cardinals had runners on the corners, so to speak. The inning continued with Musial hitting a line-drive double off the base of the right-center field wall, shading slightly off to right field, near a good-sized sign that said "Gateway Jewelry Emporium" mostly in blue and white on a mostly red and/or brown background, along with a few other words in much smaller text underneath the main text on the sign. The ball then bounced no more than three times on the rebound right back to Hartsel, who quickly fielded it, and threw a near-perfect strike to his relay man Sandberg, who just about as quickly as Hartsel had done seconds before, also fired a near-perfect strike right to the plate. Both Brock and Suzuki had been running on the 2-1 pitch, and the double scored Brock quite easily indeed, but not Suzuki, who'd been waved home by the Cardinals' third-base coach Schoendienst, not expecting Hartsel to actually be able to get to the ball well enough in a quick enough manner. However, Suzuki was busted at the plate, due to the near-perfect relay to it from Sandberg, as Musial then trailed the play. When the second throw went to the plate, Musial automatically advanced to third on the relay throw home, sliding in safely not too much later. It was a quite close play at the plate, but Suzuki was still out, just the same. Pujols then came up, with one runner in scoring position, and they eventually walked him on a full-count pitch. That put Cardinal runners back on the corners again with one out and one run in for them in the bottom of the first. Yet the Cardinals couldn't score another run for the rest of the inning, due to their next batter Polanco grounding into a double play, going from Banks to Durham through Sandberg. So the Cardinals then ended their half of the first inning up 1-0, somewhat to their dismay here.

The Cubs came right back with a first-pitch solo home run from Banks to right field, and as Banks was rounding the bases, he and Gibson began to jaw at each other at least a little bit, if not a lot. Durham soon paid for it with a strikeout on a nasty high and inside fastball looking. Ramirez then singled to center just in front of McGee four pitches after Gibson struck out Durham. Ramirez soon wandered too far off first base, with his leading off from it, and Gibson picked him off, through Musial's quick sweeping tag. Hartsel then tripled to left, on the second pitch to him, but he was kept from an inside-the-park home run by a strong throw to the plate on the fly from Brock. The Cubs' third-base coach Tristan Zimmer saw that, and held Hartsel at third, as a result. The Cubs' catcher then flew out to the base of the left-center field wall, with McGee catching the ball, which then ended the Cubs' half of the second, quite naturally enough here and now.

The Cardinals' bottom half of the second began with McCarver hitting a single to right field, which Hartsel fielded, and sent back in to Sandberg, on a full-count pitch. McGee then singled to shallow center field, but McCarver couldn't advance to second due to a throw of at least decent quality from Wilson to Banks, so that Schoendienst was forced to hold McCarver at second. Smith, following McGee, grounded out to Ramirez, who looked momentarily at McCarver to make sure that he'd not try to advance to third on the throw to first. When McCarver held, at the Cardinals' third-base coach's direction, Ramirez threw out Smith at first, leaving two Cardinals on with one out in the bottom of the second inning. Gibson, at the bottom of the Cardinals' batting order, then struck out on the tenth pitch of his first at-bat in the game, on a 2-2 pitch, after also hitting five foul balls to various places in foul territory or in the seats ringing nearly the entire stadium in it. Brock then grounded out to Durham, who threw to Brown covering first base, due to the somewhat-unintended shallowness of a two-out attempt to reach base by bunting from Brock. That ended the Cardinals' half of the second inning, stranding McCarver and McGee on the bases, quite naturally enough.

The Cubs' pitcher Brown then became Gibson's fifth strikeout victim of the game just four pitches into the Cubs' half of the third inning. Sandberg then singled to left on a 2-1 pitch from Gibson, and then Williams came up to the plate. He soon moved Sandberg onwards to second base with a Texas Leaguer-style single just out of Suzuki's diving reach on a 3-2 pitch from Gibson, thereby putting two Cubs on with Wilson coming to the plate for the second time in the game. Wilson eventually flied out to Brock just inside the left-field foul line in fair territory on a 1-2 pitch, but not deep enough to advance at least Sandberg, if not also Williams, here and now. Banks then came up, and Gibson, due to being homered off of the last time Banks had batted, sent the first pitch near Banks's chin here, to perhaps brush him back at least a little bit. Banks didn't like that, of course, but backed off slightly from the plate. Which then allowed Gibson to buzz several rather fast pitches by him the next three pitches of the at-bat. The first nicked the inside edge of the plate just below the level of the Cubs lettering on Banks's uniform. The second nearly buckled Banks at about knee-level and about two-thirds of the plate away from Banks as he stood in the right-handed batter's box. And the third barely caught the outside edge of the plate at about mid-thigh level, more or less, about 1/16th of an inch away from it perhaps being called a ball by Klem here. Gibson's sixth strikeout then ended the Cub threat in the top of the third inning quite well indeed.

After that happened, Keitaro soon asked, "Chandra-san, how familiar are you with the United States?"

"Somewhat familiar with it, though not necessarily as familiar with it as I might like. The MLB Cardinals are my favorite North American professional baseball franchise, and the NFL Cardinals my favorite American Football-style franchise. St. Louis is quite great for its various sports teams, at least, I think. But for real sights to see in this country, at least for the eastern half of it, you must all see Washington, D.C., New York City, Philadelphia, and/or Boston, if at all possible."

The Cardinals then sent up Suzuki for the second time. Suzuki sent a rocket down the right field line, and it rattled around in the right field corner, in fair territory, at least long enough for Suzuki to reach second base with a stand-up double. Hartsel shot it back in as quickly as he could, but still couldn't keep Suzuki from reaching second base well enough. Sagi thought about trying to get to third, but Schoendienst still held him. That brought up Musial. Musial then grounded out to the pitcher, after a long drawn-out at-bat with several foul balls hit, including several in the approximate direction of a group of young people near the nine Urashimas, in fact. Brown fielded the ball after the twelfth pitch of Musial's second at-bat, and shot it off towards Durham at first. When his front half was still turning away from Durham, for Brown had been facing mostly towards the Cardinals' dugout as he fielded the still-bouncing ball, Suzuki took off, seeing that his attention was obviously quite diverted now. By the time that anyone else on the Cubs realized sufficiently well here just what was now going on, Suzuki was already rounding third, and thinking very seriously indeed about trying for home, due to Berryhill sort of drifting away from the plate at least a little bit. When he saw the ball hit the dirt just in front of where Durham was now stretching for Brown's throw to hopefully retire Musial, Suzuki didn't actually stop at third, but still continued onwards. The ball arrived in Durham's glove just a split-second or two before Musial's nearest foot hit first base. And before Durham could turn and perhaps throw home to try to stop Suzuki from scoring well enough, Suzuki was already no more than ten feet from the plate. If even that at all, somehow. Berryhill wasn't really that far away from it, but he'd still most likely not be able to tag Suzuki well enough in time before he scored, due to his drifting away from the plate a few brief moments before to at least some degree, if not to a great degree, here. Suzuki crossed the plate just about two or so feet ahead of Berryhill's then quite-desperate attempt at an outstretched tagging of him there, with a full-speed head-first slide and both arms fully extended out at the current time. Pujols then absolutely drilled a high and inside hanging curveball from Brown, on a 2-1 pitch, over the left field fence into the stadium's third deck of seats about 484 feet from home plate, which made the game's current score 3-1, in favor of the Cardinals. Polanco then reached first base on a walk, several pitches later, at most, to then put a somewhat quick runner on base ahead of the lefthanded-batting rookie McCarver here. A double play followed, very soon afterward, going as Sandberg to Banks to Durham, but the Cardinals had still regained the lead here, even as the Cardinals' half of the third inning ended for them here.

"Oh, how so, Chandra-san?" asked Shinobu, right after the Cardinals' half of the third ended here.

Chandra smiled, and then answered, "Shinobu-chan, New York City, for instance, has Broadway, the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center, among many other things. It was also the first capital city of the United States after the United States Constitution was adopted. Later on, they moved the government to Philadelphia, before finally bringing it to where it's now seated, in Washington, D.C., for that matter."

The Cubs' first three hitters in the fourth were Durham, Ramirez, and Hartsel. Durham somehow managed to reach first base on a somewhat rare walk from Gibson, and Ramirez then pushed Durham to second with a single into shallow left-center field. Hartsel soon attempted to bunt them both over to third and second, respectively, for the obvious enough reasons here. But he was fooled to at least a considerable enough degree on a high pitch while trying to get it down well enough to do that, which soon earned Gibson his seventh strikeout of the game here, quite naturally enough. Berryhill then grounded out to Pujols, who had been playing at nearly double-play depth somewhere behind third base. Pujols gunned the ball right on over to Musial with a dead-on accurate throw which beat Berryhill to first by just about three steps, as Gibson backed up third and McCarver first. It was so accurate, in fact, that Durham was forced to return to second and Ramirez to first in very short order. Gibson ended the still-looming Cub threat in the fourth with another striking out of Brown, leaving the game's score at 3-1 in favor of the Cardinals.

"So where are we going, after this game ends, then?" asked Mutsumi, in between sips of some watermelon-flavored soda then in her left hand.

"Depends on what we all decide to do before our flight out of St. Louis, Mutsumi-chan," said Chandra. "I'm not quite sure just what else we might each want to do after it that we won't absolutely have to do while still here in the St. Louis local area. I know we're going to Philadelphia, though, after we leave St. Louis, just the same."

The Cardinals then started off their own fourth inning with Booker McGee at the plate. McGee eventually finagled a thirteen-pitch walk from Brown, after several fouls to assorted places in the stadium. McGee drew several attempted pick-off throws from Brown, in between several of his pitches to Merlin, AKA Doc, Smith, and went on a 2-1 pitch count, for a steal attempt. Berryhill tried to nab him at second, on a pitchout, quite obviously enough, but he was just a split-second or two too slow, as was soon learned by everyone in the stadium, at least, amidst a fairly good cloud of dust near second, as McGee slid into second just before Banks could lay the tag on him well enough. The second-base umpire, D.E.N. Warneke had an excellent position to call the play in, being no more than five or so feet away from second base as McGee was then sliding in and as Banks was also attempting to tag him before he could reach it well enough here. The play was quite close indeed, but McGee snagged the base with a hook slide to his left as Banks was reaching for the nearest part of McGee to him, which was McGee's right knee. The call came about two seconds after the dust cloud cleared here well enough, and it was, of course, "Safe!" Banks didn't like that much, and the Cubs' manager Millard Anson briefly thought about arguing the call, but looks from Klem and Warneke made him rethink such a thing, at least at the current time, anyway. Doc Smith soon flied out to shallow right-center field, with Sandberg making the play as Banks made quite sure that McGee wouldn't actually advance on the fly out to Sandberg in shallow right field by keeping a very close eye on him here. Gibson soon bunted McGee over to third with a bunt down the third-base line, which Ramirez fielded as Banks followed McGee to third, so as to hopefully prevent a potential repeat of Suzuki's tactics earlier in the game, and as Durham caught Ramirez's throw to first to nab Gibson there well enough. Brock ultimately struck out, but not before working Brown at least a little bit more here, if not a lot more. That then ended the Cardinals' half of the fourth inning with them still ahead by a score of 3-1 here.

"How long have you been a fan of both Cardinals teams, then, Chandra?" asked Kaolla.

"Several years, in fact, my dear Kaolla-chan. Since I was perhaps 5 or so, if memory serves me well enough here and now. I've often encountered their primary owners, for that matter, in at least the past decade or so, more or less. You see, my father is a man who often does assorted business-related things with them. Just as my grandfathers have periodically done as well, in their own respective lives. The Busches have been the primary owners of the St. Louis Cardinals MLB and NFL teams for at least 30 or so years, if not longer, it seems."

The Chicago Cubs then sent up, as the first three batters of their own fifth inning, Sandberg, Williams, and Wilson. Sandberg battled Gibson for several pitches, but still ultimately lost the at-bat when Gibson then forced him to fly out to Suzuki. Williams reached second base on a ground-rule double to right, just beyond Suzuki's outstretched glove. But he was eventually stranded on third base some length of time after Wilson had grounded out to Smith and after Banks had walked. He was stranded at third, in fact, when Durham struck out for the second time in the game, just after the Cubs had successfully attempted a double steal on the third pitch to Durham here, just a few pitches before Gibson struck him out with a real nasty fastball near the letters on his Cubs uniform. The game's score still remained 3-1, then, quite obviously enough.

"And what do you think about such things, Surya?" asked Motoko.

"Chandra is as much into pro sports as I generally am not. But I still do occasionally accompany her to various sporting contests whenever we're together with each other, Motoko. My favorite things to do include the kinds of things that I did at the carnival in order to win the things I won there in the Honolulu local area, by the way. I'll never be as good a quilter, most likely, as Chandra is, for example. But she's not generally quite as good at making and/or designing pieces of jewelry as I have been, am now, or possibly ever will be, I think. Nor is she quite as good in certain other areas that I'm generally good in here in my own mortal life, and vice versa, of course."

The Cardinals began their own fifth inning with Suzuki, Musial, and Pujols scheduled to hit next in the game. Suzuki was quickly retired when Brown forced him to ground out to the first baseman, who beat him to the bag by about ten feet, more or less. That brought up Musial, of course. Musial worked Brown even more, although he soon became Brown's third strikeout of the game. Pujols then came up to the plate, and Brown soon yielded a double to left field on the fifth pitch to Pujols here and now. Polanco eventually pushed Pujols onwards to third base with an infield single deep into the hole between second base and where Sandberg had actually been when the 84-mph low and inside tailing curveball had been hit somewhat sharply indeed by Polanco here. A few pitches or so later, at most, McCarver hit a towering foul pop just a dozen feet or so slightly behind and to the left of home plate as Berryhill faced towards the nearby backstop on an off-speed breaking pitch from the just-starting-to-tire Peter Maxwell Brown. Which Berryhill soon nabbed without any real problems at all once it came down well enough, therefore stranding both Pujols and Polanco on the bases at third and first, respectively. The score remained 3-1 in favor of the Cardinals as the Cubs prepared to bat in their half of the sixth. Even as they did so, they also began to get some of their pitchers warming up, just in case Brown couldn't somehow finish the game well enough.

"Just what part or parts in our mutual quest do you two think you'll be playing, then, Chandra and Surya?" asked Koushoku, eventually, in between bites from a slice of three-cheese pizza and a bear claw from a box of the latter near them all here and now.

"I'll mainly handle the legal aspects of certain things, in most, though not all, cases, if and whenever possible, for us all, for your information here. While Surya will primarily, though not entirely, see to the periodical procurement of certain important items and/or materials for the very same, Koushoku-chan. Hopefully, our own respective parts in this still-growing quest of ours here will somehow be able to eventually make it possible to be concluded well enough before it's actually too late for all the necessary sentient beings here, of course."

The Cubs started their half of the sixth with a double to center field from Ramirez on a 1-0 pitch. Hartsel then struck out four pitches later, and Berryhill soon came up to the plate, as expected. Berryhill took the first pitch of the at-bat from Gibson, and then somewhat unintentionally topped the ball considerably as he grounded the ball off towards Pujols at third base. Pujols quickly looked Ramirez back to second, before firing to Musial to retire Berryhill at first base. The most recent Cub threat, though, died when Brown struck out for the third time in the game against Gibson here, thereby ending the Cubs' half of the sixth, quite naturally enough.

Mitsune soon asked, "So do you know any of the players here reasonably well, by any chance, seeing as you're a real big sports fan around here, Chandra-san?" A third of a bear claw soon entered Mitsune's mouth here, along with some liquid from a sip from a bottle of pink lemonade.

"I am somewhat familiar with Suzuki here, at least. In fact, he and I, along with Surya, are distantly related to each other. We share at least two common ancestors dating back to just about the time that the American Revolution was still going on, more or less, if memory serves me well enough here, Mitsune-san. Our respective families have periodically interacted with each other ever since that time, at least occasionally intermarrying our members between his family and mine. Surya is a distant cousin who is also descended from our common ancestors, of course. While our families have not often intermarried with each other, there are still various Suzuki family members in our Kyutushori family tree, and vice versa, for instance."

The Cardinals' half of the sixth began with McGee singling to left-center field on a 2-1 pitch. Doc Smith then doubled opposite-field to the left field corner, moving McGee to third, but not home, due to a rather good and/or rather strong throw home from either Williams or Ramirez. That then brought Gibson to the plate with two runners in scoring position and no outs. On deck was Brock, and right after him, in the hole, was Suzuki.

Keitaro soon asked, "I know that several of us now have certain superhero-type powers, whether or not we've ever had them before just recently, Surya. Do you know reasonably well if any of your respective families' various members ever actually had any such powers within the last, say, 300 years or so, at least, then?"

Brown's first two pitches to Gibson were strikes. The third, a ball. Gibson fouled off the next two, when they nearly hit him. Another ball came next, making the count 2-2. A third foul soon came, under essentially the same exact circumstances as the previous two fouls earlier in the at-bat. Brown finally put Gibson away with a pitch high and inside that barely nicked the necessary corner of the strike zone near Gibson here, but now his pitch total was up to something like 140 or so pitches through five-and-a-third innings of work. Brock took the next three pitches, before lashing out at a 2-1 fastball from Brown. His lashing out at that pitch resulted in an almost-scorching line-drive-style ball hit almost directly at Sandberg, who somehow managed to catch it well enough at just about four feet off the ground while diving to his right, more or less, and almost exactly in the direction of second base. It was a rather hard-hit line-drive, but, somehow, Sandberg still snagged it here, just the same. When he did, that quite obviously forced both McGee and Smith to return to their respective bases, by logical enough extension here. That brought up Suzuki, who was currently 2-3 with one run scored in the game. The Cubs tried to pitch him outside well enough, but Suzuki still somehow made sufficient enough contact with one of Brown's outside pitches here well enough, and he dumped a single into left field deep enough to allow both runners to score easily enough. That then brought Musial to the plate, and he advanced Suzuki to third with another single, after the Cubs took out Brown for a left-handed reliever by the name of Homer "Jiggs" Mersithis. Mersithis was brought into the game in hopes that he'd actually be able to shut the door on the Cardinals in the current inning right away, by retiring Musial. However, as already stated, he failed to retire Musial, which then left runners on the corners for the somewhat power-capable Pujols to perhaps bring home with another hit, or at least advance, where possible, with one. Pujols then made Mersithis pay for not retiring Musial right off, on the second pitch of his fourth plate appearance of the game, by sending an 0-1 pitch just about 426 feet to left-center field into the second deck of the stadium for a three-run home run, which was his second home run of the game, in fact. Polanco then walked for the second time in the game, this time on a 3-2 pitch from Mersithis. After which, McCarver then hit a 2-run home run to right-center field on a 2-1 pitch just about 396 feet, so that it soon landed just behind the applicable wall in the park. Mersithis somehow finally managed to shut the door to the Cardinals when he then forced McGee to ground out to Ramirez on a 1-0 nearly belt-high inside pitch as McGee faced him batting right-handed here and now, for that matter. When all was ultimately said and done well enough, then, for the Cardinals in their half of the sixth inning, they'd scored seven runs on six hits and a walk, which then made the game's current score 10-1 in their favor, through six full innings of play.

"To the best of my current knowledge, Keitaro, I don't. At least not at present, anyway, if I'm not too mistaken about such things here and now. I could be wrong, of course, but I really don't think I am here and now, to be totally honest with you here," answered Surya.

The Cubs sent up Sandberg, Williams, and Wilson in their half of the seventh. Sandberg soon went down on three pitches, due to Gibson's twelfth strikeout of the game. Williams on five, making his thirteenth. And Wilson on four, making his fourteenth. That kept the game's score at 10-1 of the Cardinals, heading into the seventh-inning stretch, then, quite naturally enough.

After the seventh-inning stretch ended well enough, the Cardinals began to bat in their half of the seventh. Doc Smith then came up for the fourth time so far in the game. As he prepared to bat in the seventh inning, the Cubs made another pitching change, bringing in another pitcher, this time a right-handed pitcher by the somewhat unusual name of Odysseus Teachley. Teachley then allowed Smith to reach first on a single to right field when he knocked a 0-1 pitch there. Hartsel relayed it in as quickly as he could, which kept Smith from trying to make that hit a double well enough here and now. Gibson then singled as well, but this time to left field, which moved Smith to third. Brock followed Gibson by doubling, allowing Smith to score and Gibson to advance to third. Next, Suzuki tripled to center field over Wilson's head, scoring Brock and Gibson fairly easily indeed. Musial continued the inning with a fly out to shallow right field that wasn't deep enough to allow Suzuki to try to score here. That fly out, however, ultimately spelled the end of Teachley's stint in the game, with Pujols now scheduled as the next batter due to come up to the plate in the current inning. Teachley's replacement was another right-handed pitcher by the name of Aristotle Sleicamb, but he was quickly greeted in the game by Pujols's third home run, and fourth hit, of the game, when Pujols sent a 1-0 pitch to right-center field about 356 feet, more or less, where it soon landed just behind the nearby wall there. Polanco then grounded out to Sandberg six pitches later, and McCarver battled Sleicamb for at least a little while, before ultimately being retired as well through a strikeout on the tenth pitch of his fifth plate appearance in the game. The Cardinals' half of the seventh finally ended with them adding five more runs to their total in it, making the game's current score 15-1 in their favor, by the way.

Gibson wasted very little time in retiring the Cubs in order in their half of the eighth inning. Banks went down on one pitch when Gibson made him ground out to Smith somewhat easily, somehow. Durham lasted two more pitches before he grounded to Polanco on the third pitch of his fourth plate appearance in the game. And as for Ramirez, he went down two pitches later, when he flew out to McGee in center field, ending the Cubs' half of the eighth inning with them fourteen runs down now.

Chandra eventually asked, "How would you perhaps like to meet at least one or two of the players, at least, after the game, if at all possible, everyone?"

"Are you sure that might even be possible, somehow, Chandra-san?" asked Shinobu. "It might not actually be possible, somehow, for us to do that, I think."

The Cardinals, for once, went down in order in the game. McGee struck out on four pitches. Smith grounded out four pitches after that to Ramirez. And then Gibson flew out to Wilson in center field just two pitches later. That therefore ended the Cardinals' last required batting half of the game, most likely, due to them now having a 15-1 lead in the game here, of course.

"No, of course not. But if Suzuki's named one of the players of the game, as I now suspect quite strongly that he will be, I think it might just be possible to converse with him, at least, for a brief time before we'd all have to leave the stadium behind again for our hotel and our flight to Philadelphia here," answered Chandra, in very short order.

The Cubs' half of the ninth soon saw them go down in order on a flyout and two strikeouts. Hartsel flew out to Suzuki on the second pitch, while both Berryhill and Sleicamb went down on three straight pitches each, the former before the latter, of course. Berryhill tried to get a hit to hopefully allow a potential rally for the Cubs here, but Gibson fanned him swinging at an outside curveball near knee-level. As for Sleicamb, he struck out looking, for he couldn't react in time to perhaps hit Gibson's last pitch of the game well enough, as far as he could then tell here. So he chose not to swing at it here and now, ultimately. Once Klem then called him out, the game was over, with the Cardinals winning by a score of 15-1.

Not very long at all after that happened here well enough, all the players and coaches, et cetera, then began to leave the field as needed and/or desired here. Even Gibson, for example, of course, after his complete-game eight-hit and two-walk win here against the Cubs.

Gibson had struck out sixteen in the game, with a few Cubs being struck out by him more than once in the game here. While he pitched reasonably well, at least for the most part, if not entirely, in the game, he wasn't named one of the Cardinals' stars of it here and now. Instead, the official stars of the game for the Cardinals were Suzuki, Pujols, and McGee, in that specific order.

As for the Cubs, their three official stars of the now-ended game were Joaquin Ramirez, Harvey Williams, and Noah Banks, in that specific order. Ramirez had done the most damage to the Cardinals in the game, even with his being picked off earlier in the game by Gibson through Musial's tag at first base in the second inning. What ultimately proved to be the Cubs' real downfall in it, though, were the often-long at-bats that the Cardinals periodically forced upon their pitchers in it. Especially while Brown had still been pitching for them in it, for that matter. If they'd have been able to keep the pitch counts down well enough, perhaps Brown could have lasted longer in it. But too many long at-bats wore out Brown much sooner than they'd hoped he'd be in the game. They might have been able to rally, somehow, even if they had allowed just two more runs to score in the Cardinals' sixth, at least, if not the entire game instead. But once Pujols hit his second long ball of the game, that essentially ensured an eventual Cardinals victory in it, barring a major pitching and/or defensive collapse. For Gibson had begun to shorten his own pitching innings the half-inning before, as the Cubs were batting in their own half of the sixth, much to the Cubs' eventual great misfortune from then on in it. The three relievers that Anson eventually sent into the game here were each not very effective, if even at all, after Brown's removal. And the Cardinals soon tacked on several more insurance runs, ensuring their eventual win here even more than they'd done in the sixth inning, when they scored those additional runs not long after the end of the game's seventh-inning stretch.

Once the game was officially over here, many spectators eventually began leaving the stadium behind here and now well enough. Supposing that they hadn't already begun to do so earlier in the game, of course. When enough people between them and the field had begun to leave the stadium, the nine Urashimas soon made their way down the nearest aisle to their seats in the stadium, and worked their ways closer to field level. Suzuki was still around on the field, talking to several media personalities, and Chandra soon called out to him in Japanese, which he soon responded to in like manner. They conversed for a few brief moments entirely in Japanese with each other here. And then Suzuki called out in English to the team's primary owners sitting several rows in back of home plate, asking them both here if the nine Urashimas could get a quick tour of the Cardinals' clubhouse, at least, before they all eventually left the stadium as well.

The Cardinals' primary owners, one of which was an apparently middle-aged man by the specific name of Gabriel Busch, and the other who was his roughly seven-year-younger wife, the former Dakota Jefferson, both thought about, and mutually discussed with each other, the just-proposed idea for no more than about two or three minutes, at most. After which, Gabriel soon said here, to several nearby security personnel, "Let these nine specific Japanese tourists all down on the field, at least. Let them all run around the bases and/or hit or throw for a few moments, if they wish. Then take them to the home clubhouse, so that they can meet whoever they might wish to meet before they finally leave the stadium for their flight to Philadelphia. See that they each are able to get anything they might then want and/or need within fair enough and logical enough reason, as well, at the team store, before they leave, too. Give them each a $500 maximum allowance for items at that store, on my authority as one of the Cardinals' primary owners here."

The necessary security personnel immediately sprung into action so as to quite promptly obey all his directions here. They soon escorted the nine Urashimas onto the playing field, and they all soon ran the bases for a few moments each, before being quickly whisked to the Cardinals' clubhouse due to Mr. Busch's orders here. Not very much longer after that, with Suzuki periodically interpreting for them if and whenever necessary, they soon talked with several of the Cardinals, whether they were Zhegro, his coaches, and/or his players, and collected several items apiece, including any number of autographed items, before being whisked away towards the team store. On the way there, then, they even encountered several of the Cubs who were themselves preparing to leave the stadium as well. Cubs like Joaquin Ramirez, for example, and they each got at least a few more unexpected mementos from them as well, once they too realized what was actually going on here quite well enough. A few moments more, at most, then, the nine Urashimas were all inside the team store, quite well enough, and supplied with several dozen customized items apiece on very short notice indeed. Many of them for certain reasons not yet known to most, though not all, of the nine travelers at that particular time, by the way. Including, in fact, several near-replica jerseys that would bear certain three-digit numbers and certain first and/or last names, by prior club design, depending on what various customers buying such kinds of jerseys might want on them, within suitable enough reason, wherever and whenever possible. As they each finished picking out any number of other items from that store, their now-chosen numbers and their now-shared last name, at least, were then placed on their respective customized jerseys as needed or desired for them all here.

The chosen number on Keitaro's brand-new customized jersey here and now was 101, by the way. Shinobu chose 202. Mutsumi, 303. Kaolla, 404. Motoko, 505. Koushoku, 606. Mitsune, 707. Chandra, 808. And Surya, 909. Once each of the nine customized uniforms, for example, met sufficiently enough with their respective approvals here, then, they were each quite quickly boxed up and placed with all the other things that they'd selected from the store here. They were already quite well on the way to the nearby airport, in fact, by the time that the nine Urashimas finally managed to exit the stadium on their way back to their hotel, by very special order of Mr. Busch and his roughly 39-year-old wife, who'd entered the club's store while they were all still in it. Chandra, seeing as she was most likely the best English-language speaker of the nine travelers here, then greatly thanked both him and his wife, on behalf of their entire traveling party for their great kindness and great generosity here on the current day. The Busches were both quite pleased to hear that their party's members had really enjoyed themselves at the game and afterwards, and Gabriel said, "We are very glad to hear that, Chandra-san. If any or all of you, and/or your various friend-type associates are ever back here again in St. Louis, somehow, please feel quite free to come and attend another Cardinal game, if at all possible, free of charge, within fair enough and logical enough reason. All you and/or your various associates of that nature will then have to do, in order to do that here, in fact, is to sufficiently enough identify yourselves as one of the necessary sentient beings here, and you'll all be granted reasonable free rein on this stadium's grounds, at least, at any time of the year, night or day, if and whenever possible and appropriate enough. We so promise you all that, in fact, on our words of honor as Busches here, just so you all know this well enough."

"Excellent. Then you will most likely have, in time, a large bunch of diehard Cardinals fans for a very long time, if and whenever possible, in the future, Mr. and Mrs. Busch."

"Most splendid, then, Chandra-san. We shall then quite gladly and quite patiently await your eventual returns to here. God willing, of course. As for you, Mr. Urashima, if there's anything else at all that we can ever possibly do for you or those who might ever be sufficiently enough with you in the future, no matter what or when it is, please do not hesitate to let us know as soon as you possibly can, of course."

"Of course, Mr. Busch. It most certainly will be my great honor to notify you, if at all possible, then. Thank you very much from the very bottom of your immense kindness and generosity here, for that matter. At least indirectly, if not directly, that is. Now I and my fellow travelers must actually depart for Philadelphia by 5 on this late afternoon, it seems. We all have some plans to catch a reading of the Declaration of Independence and perhaps a fireworks show there tonight, if at all possible, in fact."

"Understood. Abel Michael, see that they are cleared through the necessary security checks with their various belongings, et cetera, as needed and as possible, just as quickly as you can," Mr. Busch said, all of a sudden, as his eldest son Abel Michael then hurried into the store as well, after having gotten the word mere moments before that his father was now conversing briefly with some foreign tourists who'd attended the game earlier that day from the just-leaving Sagi Hiraku Suzuki, no less.

"Wilco, Papa." He moved immediately to a computer console near one kiosk in the store, and began making it possible for the required security checks that didn't actually require the nine Urashimas' presences to be greatly sped up, wherever and whenever possible and appropriate enough. Once that was done well enough, he and his parents quickly called for a long specially-painted limousine with a maximum capacity of 16 people, whether passengers or drivers, to be brought to the Urashimas' hotel so that they could collect all their things from their rooms there well enough. Ten minutes after that, at most, everyone was at the airport, including the three Busches, where at least one or two semi-fond farewells were eventually made wherever necessary and/or possible. That happened just before all nine Urashimas ultimately boarded their flight to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as they'd earlier planned to do. They were all sufficiently in the air again, then, by no later than 5 pm St. Louis time, which was exactly one hour behind Philadelphia's time here, in any case whatsoever, by the way.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Japan, and specifically back in the Hinata local area, eight players were just finishing up an early-morning game of Monopoly with each other. Specifically, a particular version of Monopoly customized as they'd so desired it to be customized at the current time. The game had started out with eight players, those eight players being Ami, Ryo, Minako, Kohaku Kumada, Rei, Yuuichirou Kumada, Makoto, and Shinozaki, in fact. As they were finishing the game in question, only Ami and Rei still remained of the eight as active players in it.

Ami held both Browns, two of the three Light Blues, all three of the Magentas, two of the three Oranges, the three Yellows, and both Dark Blues. Also under her control were three of the four Continent-themed areas, and one of the Utility-type lots. In the color groups that she currently had lots from here, she lacked Buenos Aires from the Light Blue group of Buenos Aires, Toronto, and Athens, and Moscow from the Orange group of Moscow, Amsterdam, and New Delhi. Ami now also held the deeds for the Continent-themed areas for the Americas, Africa, and Australia, lacking only the deed for Eurasia, the second part of that group of four, and the Utility-type deed that she also held from that sort of group was the deed for the Prime Meridian, out of a potential monopoly consisting of the Prime Meridian and the Equator.

The two Browns were currently Cardiff and Madrid. The three Magentas were, in like manner, New York, Rome, and Lima. The Reds, which Rei now obviously had, instead of Ami, were themselves now London, Tokyo, and St. Louis. Moving past the Reds, then, the three Yellows were now Manila, Peking, and Kyoto, in that order. Ami lacked the Greens, as well, and they consisted currently of Nairobi, Paris, and Mecca, in that exact order, for that matter. Finally, the last group on the board, which Ami then held, consisted of Jerusalem and Washington, D.C., flanking the Luxury Tax area, with Washington's square being right next to Go here.

The lot for the Americas was on the Go - Just Visiting/Jail side of the board. Eurasia on the Just Visiting/Jail - Free Parking side. Africa on the Free Parking - Go To Jail side. And Australia on the Go To Jail - Go side. The Utility-type lots were in the appropriate locations on the board, with the Prime Meridian on the second side of the board, and the Equator on the third. The Community Chest cards were currently in a stack sitting in an area now referred to as the North Pole, while the Chance cards were in an area currently labeled as the South Pole. As for the Tax-themed squares, they were currently labeled as Income Tax and Luxury Tax, by logical enough extension.

At the moment, Ami had the equivalent of perhaps 8,000 American Dollars in cash on hand, along with hotels on both Browns and Dark Blues, nine houses total on her Magentas, and eight houses on her Yellows, with two houses on Manila and three each on Peking and Kyoto. Mortgaged at present, due to her desire to load up her Yellows as best as she had been able to the turn before, were her three Continent-themed areas, her two Light Blues, and the Prime Meridian lot. She couldn't load them up completely, for Rei had herself claimed the remaining 15 houses for herself, earlier in the game.

Rei had two houses each on the Greens, and three each on the Reds. She had the equivalent of about 2,400 American Dollars for cash on hand at present. Mortgaged for her at that time were her Orange, her Light Blue, and the Equator. Her money bag token now sat on Nairobi, and her chances of landing on a hotelized area were most likely quite good indeed. While her remaining opponent, who had a car token, now sat on Kyoto, not too far behind her here. And it was now her turn, by the way. Rei then rolled a six, which cost her the equivalent of 1,500 American Dollars in rent, when she hit Jerusalem while it was fully loaded with a hotel. Not long after that, Rei soon was forced to start selling back her houses to the bank, and when she did so, Ami bought them up in very short order. The game finally ended, about ten or so minutes later, perhaps, when Rei hit the hotelized Tokyo, after Rei had been forced to relinquish control over her signature color of red during the game.

Once the game was over, at about 7:15 am local time, Ami and the other players soon put up the game, and each prepared for the day ahead as they needed to and/or wanted to do that here and now. Makoto and Shinozaki, for instance, soon began to cook in the kitchen as necessary for everyone here. Rei and Yuuichirou decided to go for a perhaps short walk out behind the girls-only dorm for a while. Minako and Kohaku decided to watch TV for at least a little while with each other. While Ami and Ryo began to play chess not too far away from where Minako and Kohaku were going to watch TV with each other.

Motoki soon joined Makoto and Shinozaki in the kitchen, and aided them where necessary and/or desired for any or all of them. Mamoru made his way to the main room of the girls-only dorm not long after 7:30, and Usagi met him in it a few minutes after that. They then went up to the roof with each other for at least a little while, perhaps to enjoy themselves at least a little bit, within fair enough reason. Others soon made their ways to the main room from either the annex or the girls-only dorm. Especially after Makoto finally said that breakfast would be served in very short order indeed at about 8:15 in the morning, local time.

Haruka was one of those who showed up there, and when everyone assembled in the main dining area for the girls-only dorm as necessary, she soon said, "Everyone, this place will need to be emptied out as best as possible in very short order here. Chiba-san's construction-related workers will need to be able to work here well enough, and many things will have to be taken care of here before they come here to do what they'll have to do here, so that they can hopefully do that well enough. We all will need to remove as many things from here as we possibly can to at least one other place, if not more than one. True, many of the things here are not your own, but they evidently still need to be removed at least temporarily, if at all possible, before the construction crew gets here to work on this place as needed here. If this place's primary residents were here, then they'd quite obviously be able to help out here with that sort of thing. However, as we all know quite well, they're not, so that means that we're going to have to do all the work ourselves here, of course."

Ryo soon asked, "So how are we to handle the relocation of all necessary objects here that can be moved?"

"Urawa-san, you, along with Urkel-san and Mizuno-san, at least, will see to all the science and mechanical-type things to the best of your abilities to do just that here and now. Everyone else will be assigned other areas of these grounds to deal with as needed," Haruka eventually said, as she finished a bowl of raisin bran and began lifting a slice of wheat-bread toast to her mouth.

Breakfast concluded at about 9:15 or so in the morning, after which everyone soon began to attend to various things all over the grounds for the Hinata Apartments as needed here. Makoto and a few others began attending to the necessary things in and around the main kitchen area, for example, while others were soon off to begin clearing out other rooms and places all around the grounds as needed here.

Things were quite busy most of the day, if not all of it, up until about 9 pm or so, local time. About half of the necessary things were taken care of sufficiently well, then, by that time, more or less. After a perhaps later-than-normal supper for everyone, several people eventually withdrew to the hot springs with each other.

Those people were, in fact, Kagome, Sango, Miyudoko, Yuminaki, Kikyo, Kaede, Ayame, and Rin. And Sylvia, Usagi, Midori, and Anne were planning to come there later, if at all possible, for that matter. Kagome soon said, "The primary tenants here sure do have quite a few things here, I think, Sango."

"Yes, I suppose so. Not like a lot of people do in the Feudal Era, it seems to me," said Sango, as she sipped from a tea cup then near her here.

"True. Most people in the Feudal Era don't seem to have a lot of things, unless they're very powerful in various ways. Whether either in wealth or in the amount of authority they might be able to assert over a certain amount of land, if not both, at least, for instance" said Kagome, as she looked at the back of her hands briefly.

"Yes, I do believe you're right, Kagome," Sango said. "While I think there are certain good things about either era, I believe I would rather live, if I had a choice in the matter, to live in the Feudal Era. True, it is a time of quite considerable conflict between dueling warlords, for example, but certain things are evidently much simpler in that time than in this one. For instance, I don't think I'll ever fully be able to comprehend the thought that one can perhaps travel around the world in about two hours, at most, if not even quicker than that, in ships above our world. Much less them perhaps being able to land on the Moon and return to Earth in no more than a week or two, for that matter. Or at least not for a very long time indeed."

"Understood. There are many times I'd rather be in the Feudal Era myself with many, if not all, of the rest of you. But I have a life here as well, and it can't just be abandoned totally, even if I might perhaps wish that it could be someday, Sango. There are a lot of things in this time which are good, and if it weren't for them, certain things in the Feudal Era would perhaps have gone much worse for us at least a few times, if not a lot, in fact."

"Yes, I suppose so. Like when Miroku wasn't feeling well this last winter in the Feudal Era, for instance. You came back to your time, and brought at least a few things back when you returned to the Feudal Era. Those things helped him get better in many, if not all, of the necessary ways, if memory serves me well enough here, and he was back up and about as needed not too long after that. Even Miyudoko and Yuminaki here have been helped at least a few times by things from your time while you've periodically been in our time, if not quite often. True, several of those things are still perhaps quite unfamiliar to those of us from the Feudal Era, but they've still helped us from time to time in the past. Right, Kagome?"

"Yes, they sure have. Miyudoko, I've been wondering something for some time." Kagome began helping Sango wash her back as she said this here and now.

"Oh?" asked Miyudoko as she was then helping Kikyo by doing to her exactly what Kagome was then doing to Sango here.

"If your right eye could be healed, and you could see again out of it, would you want to have sight restored to it or not?" asked Kagome, as she brought her hands down Sango's back somewhat gently indeed at Sango's largely-inaudible request here.

Miyudoko thought for a few moments, and then briefly looked at Kaede, before saying, "If it could be healed sufficiently well, then I wouldst be foolish not to consider the chance or chances that very sort of thing might actually be the case. However, child, I've also learned quite well indeed that not every apparently good thing is necessarily desirable or best for the person or persons in question. And that they may often bring great risk and/or trouble if claimed by one or more people, for that matter. I wouldst have to consider certain things at considerable length, most likely, before I couldst decide to take such a chance or chances in my life."

The eight ladies were eventually joined in the hot springs by Sylvia, Usagi, Midori, and Anne, who soon found themselves places to sit in them for a while. Usagi and her friends soon joined the conversation that Kagome was now engaged in with several others here. And Sylvia eventually said, "Miyudoko-san, if you wish to actually receive your sight, please say so clearly enough, and you shall have it, God willing."

"What God is this that you speak of, Wakefield-san?" asked Kaede.

"The One True God of the Universe, Kaede-san. The One who made all of us in our respective mothers' wombs, in fact." Sylvia then began to tell everyone a random story that many of them had not yet learned about somehow related to a Chosen People from somewhere else in the world. At the end of it, several of them began to consider the possibility, at least, that at least some, if not a lot, of whatever they'd learned in the past wasn't as accurate as they'd once thought it was. While none of them actually decided here to quite suddenly become either Jewish or Christian, if they weren't already, a seed had still been planted somehow in a number of their minds and/or hearts that could eventually bloom into a full-fledged flower of some yet-unknown sort, perhaps. At least philosophically speaking, anyway, if it and whatever it developed into was taken care of sufficiently well in the meantime as needed here, in fact.

Eventually, everyone soon retired to their respective sleeping areas on the grounds, no matter where they were on it. Just as all the others who were now on the grounds had all most likely done by then here, in fact. And all current residents who were then present on those grounds were quite soundly asleep again by no later than 11:30 pm local time in the Hinata area of Japan, in any case at all here. Even Haruka Urashima, for that matter.

* * *

Meanwhile, as the Hinata Apartments' current residents began to head to bed, and eventually fall asleep, back in Tokyo, seventeen people and two others were currently with each other, and trying to learn at least a little bit more about each other and about the various evil beings they'd mutually battled earlier. The seventeen people were all in their civilian forms at present, but each would transform as needed at a mere moment's notice, if at all possible, for each of them. While the two others who were now here were Ghostwriter and Zordon, who was able to communicate during the meeting through a portal of some generally-unknown sort that Setsuna had prepared at least a little while earlier specifically for his own particular use during it. While he wouldn't actually be present, or at least not present in a sufficiently solid and sufficiently physical form, Zordon would still be present at, and able to participate in, the meeting here, somehow.

At the present time, they were all in the Meioh family's 9th-floor apartment suite, seeing as her parents and her siblings were all out for at least a while longer during the current night. Supposing, of course, that they all still lived in that very same apartment suite here. Her parents were catching a rather late movie double feature, while her two sisters were either already in college or still in high school, and most likely with them each on certain dates of their own, as the case might be at present for each of them here. Setsuna had recently finished high school herself, but hadn't yet begun attending college, in her own life. [AN: At this particular point in the story, Setsuna, Haruka, and Michiru are each still 17, while Hotaru is still 16. Setsuna will begin attending college in September along with certain other characters already present in the story, at least, if not others as well. Haruka and Michiru both have one more year of high school left, and Hotaru has three more years left. End of current Author's Note.]

As they were all assembled in the somewhat large family room-type area in that apartment suite, they were, for the most part, on several stools, chairs, and/or couches there. Setsuna, Tina, and Trini were all in the process of bringing assorted food and drink items to their current companions in it, mainly on Setsuna's leading, seeing as they were now at her family's residence in Tokyo's neighborhood of Azabu Juuban. The Rangers were quite near each other in one part of the aforementioned area, the Senshi in another grouping, and the Ghostwriter Team's main members in a third, with the Senshi being in the middle of things here.

Ghostwriter was his usual mostly bluish ball of light, as expected. But now, not just his own Team's main members could actually see him well enough here, but also the Power Rangers and the Sailor Senshi. He'd actually written to his Team's main members, and discussed several rather important things with them, not too long after their rather recent battle in Tokyo that they'd fought alongside the Rangers and the Senshi. He and his own Team eventually decided, after rather considerable discussion with each other, that it might be somewhat wise for him to then reveal himself well enough to their likely-future allies of a sort. So that was why the Senshi and the Rangers could now see him well enough at the current time as well.

As for Zordon, his portal of a sort was rather near his own Power Rangers, and next to a fairly good-sized sculpture of several mostly Greco-Roman mythological figures. Such figures present for that particular sculpture included Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn, to name just a few, of course. There were at least a few non-Greco-Roman mythological figures present for it, but most of the figures present for that sculpture were still Greco-Roman, just the same, here and now.

Facing directly towards the Rangers, at present, one might then see, from left to right, on several stools, Tommy Oliver, Kimberly Hart, an open seat, Billy Cranston, Zack Taylor, and Jason Scott. The now-empty seat was Trini's here, of course. At the moment, Kim's right hand was somewhat calmly holding Tommy's left in it as they sat in nearby stools pushed up fairly close to each other. Trini's own stool wasn't as close to Billy's stool as Kimberly's was to Tommy's, but she and Billy would still be fairly close to each other, just the same. Zack and Jason, themselves, had their stools about two or three feet away from each other, at least. All the stools, though, were positioned at least a few feet away from a four-seat ancient-looking couch to the right of a rather good-sized television-type screen as one might normally face that screen when something was playing on it well enough. That couch was angled towards the screen at a 45-degree angle here, by the way. Due to the simple fact that there were too many Rangers now present for the couch to hold them all well enough, the Rangers would be or were sitting on stools behind it, for that matter.

As for the Senshi, their seats on the matching central couch sitting directly in front of that large screen here currently went left to right as follows: Haruka, Hotaru, Setsuna, and Michiru, in that very specific order. Setsuna's seat was currently empty, due to the simple fact that she was now helping Trini and Tina distribute the necessary food and drink items to everyone here who'd be able to have them well enough. As all those items were still being distributed here, Haruka was briefly tousling Hotaru's hair here, somewhat to Hotaru's great dismay here, for she was actually trying to concentrate rather intently on a bit of a historical novel that she was earnestly reading at the moment. A novel which, in fact, Setsuna had bought decades, if not centuries, earlier, during a long-ago mission in the past, for her. As Hotaru now tried to read her centuries-old novel, Michiru was also rather gently trying to guide her cousin's hands away from Hotaru's hair by using one of her good-looking hands, with little to no current success in the matter here, while also holding both a violin and its bow with the other.

In the Ghostwriter Team's part of the area now in question here, Ghostwriter was presently sitting nearly on top of Rob's head, as his Team's main members were mostly seated, from left to right, as follows: Jamal, Lenni, Alex, an empty seat obviously meant for Tina, Gaby, Rob, and Hector. Jamal and Lenni were alone on the matching left couch, which was also angled towards the screen at a 45-degree angle, just as the first couch had been, while Alex and the other five were not, or would not be, sitting on it here and now. Alex and the four other Ghostwriter Team members besides Jamal and Lenni were each sitting, or would be sitting, on wooden chairs brought there earlier from the Meioh family's main dining area, however. Alex's chair was in back of and to Lenni's left as she was then snuggling up to Jamal at least a little bit here. Tina's chair was about a foot or two away from Alex's and about another two or three feet away from Gaby's chair. While Gaby's chair was about as close to Rob's chair as Trini and Billy's stools were to each other, for that matter. Finally, Hector's chair was about three or so feet to the other side of Rob's chair here.

Once all the necessary food and drink items had been distributed as needed here, Setsuna soon retrieved a videotape she'd discovered while patrolling in Tokyo earlier that day, much to her great surprise, when she least expected to do that at all. With that tape then retrieved from her personal subspace pocket, she quickly popped it into a player meant for that purpose, before using a remote to play that tape well enough on that player.

For at least a little while, then, the nineteen sentients now present viewed that very same tape as best as they each could do that here and now. Even Ghostwriter, who mainly, if not entirely, studied the various words and/or letters that were periodically visible enough during the tape's playing here. While Ghostwriter would not be able to actually see most of the things on that tape well, simply because he didn't actually have eyes like everyone else quite obviously did, he most certainly would most likely be able to read many, if not most or all, of the words and/or letters that might be sufficiently visible while it was still playing well enough. In fact, this tape showed many, if not all, of the events that happened while they were all fighting alongside each other in their still-recent battle against any number of evil alien monsters, quite naturally enough.

As they watched the tape in question at present, they periodically discussed the events of that very same battle, at the very least, if nothing else as well. Eventually, Setsuna said, "These aliens will not be very easy to beat here, everyone. It will take a lot of people's help to defeat them well enough here. Whether they might come from the past, the present, or future, in any number of potential and/or actual timelines, in fact, as potential enemies of ours. It might be a rather wise idea for us to perhaps consider working rather closely indeed with each other to oppose them, even after you return to your own respective homes elsewhere in this world, wherever they might be. And perhaps even to contribute any number of genetic samples, et cetera, to a genetics research center, for example. It seems that when our likely mutual enemies next attack, they might try to infiltrate and/or attack any number of places, which may or may not include any number of such centers. This conflict may very well take at least ten to fifteen years to resolve well enough, if not even longer than that."

"Why do you think we should perhaps consider contributing such samples to at least one genetic sample, then, if at all possible, Meioh-san?" asked Tina.

"Just in case any or all of you might somehow be rendered at least temporarily, if not permanently, unable to have children at any time in the future, somehow, your genes might then be able to be passed on to potential offspring of yours with other people, Nguyen-san," said Setsuna.

"I don't understand what you mean by that, Meioh-san," said Tina, after taking a bite of a bit of pizza then on a ceramic plate in her lap

"The young men would ideally contribute sperm samples, while the young women would ideally contribute eggs, of course, Nguyen-san. Those donated samples would then each be kept and/or studied as needed and as possible, until and unless there was an actual need or desire for them to be combined with certain other opposing gametes, in fact, through certain artificial means. They'd all most likely be frozen, whenever they're in cold storage, until and unless they then are needed for certain other purposes. Such as the artificial production of offspring, for example," said Setsuna, as she sipped from a new cup of tea that she'd just poured for herself here.

"We're not generally from rather rich families, it seems to me, Meioh-san," said Alex.

"Yes, I know. Most, if not all, of you do not come from such families, from what little I know of them all right now. But I do know this, at least, for sure. Several of you are meant for each other, and will be together for the rest of your lives, if at all possible, one way or another. I am not entirely certain about just how things might progress for you all in your respective lives, quite obviously enough. But I still do know, somehow, that at least four of you, if not more of you than just four of you all, will eventually be married in your lives, whether you're crossing teams or not with each other here. Or whether you're with certain other people who aren't here with us right now, for that matter. At least in this current dimension and/or timeline of the Universe. God willing, of course, Alex-san."

"So how do you expect us to be able to afford the process of contributing those samples you're speaking of here, then?" asked Jason.

"The people in charge of things at UBGES, which stands for the Universal Bureau of Genomic Exploration and Storage, often pay people for their contributed genetic samples, if and whenever necessary, appropriate enough, and possible enough. I'm quite sure that they'd be more than willing to do the same for each and/or every single one of you, if I'm not too mistaken here, in fact, Scott-san."

"And how are they able to do that, by any chance, then, Meioh-san?" asked Zordon.

"One of my associates from this part of Tokyo heads a foundation that runs the center in question. They are one of the leading genetics research centers anywhere in the whole world, for that matter, Zordon-sama."

"And how experienced are they in such things, then?" asked Billy.

"The center has been in known existence since at least 1950, if not even longer than that, it seems to me, for sure. Possibly even a good deal longer than that, though not necessarily quite well-known to most people in this world as such. Verifiable enough records about it go back only to the late 1940's or early 1950's, in any case, at present, everyone. From what I know of it well enough, it was once run by various doctors from assorted Terran countries shortly after World War II finally ended. The foundation that runs it has various national and/or regional headquarters in several places all over the world, along with any number of satellite locations as appropriate and as possible, Cranston-san. The nearest regional headquarters location to those of you from Angel Grove is somewhere in the San Francisco local area. While the nearest one of those to those of you from Brooklyn is in Philadelphia, if memory serves me well enough here and now."

Ghostwriter suddenly flashed towards a nearby desktop computer, as if a thought of some sort had just come to him, and began spitting words up on its screen just as suddenly, in Japanese, Vietnamese, Spanish, and English, from top to bottom. The English version read, "When the Lion's Garden blooms, the Crystalline Cosmic Commonwealth will rise in great force from the long darkness provided by the Serpent and his offspring. Stars will fall, yet rise again, if and whenever possible, in the future, until the Lion finally conquers the Serpent once and for all. Much will happen, yet the Lion will still see ultimate victory against the Serpent, when, and as, His Father then so wishes!" It took several full computer screens to somehow convey what Ghostwriter was then spitting out well enough here and now, in the four aforementioned languages, of course. But eventually, everyone else then in the room with Ghostwriter well enough actually managed to somehow read every single word that he'd put on the computer's screen here.

Everyone considered what Ghostwriter had just put on the computer screen some time before at some considerable length, before Billy suddenly blurted out, "I think I have an idea what Ghostwriter might be trying to say here, everyone. I think he's suggesting that if enough people work together, and work well enough with each other for some yet-unknown length of time, then perhaps the systems represented by the stars might form an alliance of some sort on the side of the Lion. Perhaps the stars of those allied systems might be somehow drawn well enough together, and even become part of a new constellation never yet seen before in this Galaxy of ours, for that matter."

"What?" asked Hector.

"When the American flag's design was being considered, Hector, several ideas about how to design it were thought of. Eventually, though, it was decided that a certain number of stars would be placed on a blue canton in one corner of the flag in a new arrangement not yet seen before that time, along with the same number of stripes elsewhere on the flag. Several designs based on that premise were used periodically, even during the American Revolution, and for some time afterward. Ultimately, the number of stripes on the flag was set permanently at thirteen, with seven red stripes and six white ones. As even more states joined the United States, there were any number of stars added to the others in the blue canton, in various locations as the need arose for them to be. As it stands now, there are 50 stars on the flag, and there may possibly be any number of additional stars added, if other states join the Union. Our own national flag is much more complex than, say, the Japanese flag, for instance. But still, it is an excellent flag, in my opinion, just the same," said Billy.

"Can someone simplify that, please?" asked Hector.

Tina said, "I think he means that if the systems of the Lion banded together and adopted a flag much like our own, each system might be represented by a single star or something similar on a Commonwealth flag in some sort of constellation-like arrangement, Hector. The more systems that joined this Commonwealth, the more stars or symbols there might be on it, if I get his drift well enough here."

"In essence, that is correct, I believe, Miss Nguyen," said Billy.

"How were you able to figure out just what he was saying well enough, if I might ask this of you, Tina?" asked Trini. "Most people can't generally understand his way of talking well enough unless they're what some people might unfairly call 'geeks,' 'nerds,' or 'eggheads,' among many other unkind terms for people like him, it seems to me."

"Well, I've recently been doing some more science-related reading and kinds of things in my spare time, if and whenever possible and desired by myself in my life. While I might not ultimately pursue a career in such things in the future, I've still been considerably more interested in such things of late, for some yet-unknown reason, if I'm not too mistaken here, Trini."

Everyone then conversed with each other for a good length of time longer, before the meeting they were now having eventually started to break up sufficiently enough here and now. The Ghostwriter Team's members left the location of the meeting first, and they all left it in their civilian forms, so as to hopefully not give away their respective combat identities, quite naturally enough here and now. Not too much later, then, the Power Rangers did the same, and also in their own respective civilian states, also for the very same reasons. The last of the sentients to leave it behind were the other Outer Senshi, not counting Setsuna, and they hoped that she would have a good rest of the night after they each left there as well, by the way.

* * *

Meanwhile, as others were beginning to empty various places on the Hinata Apartments' grounds, back in Philadelphia, the nine travelers had already landed sufficiently well there, and had eventually found themselves exploring the Philadelphia area for a little while. They had landed at Philadelphia's international airport at precisely 7:30 pm local time. It took them another hour, more or less, at most, to reach their hotel well enough. They quickly deposited many of their things in three rented rooms as necessary and as desired here. While they did so, they also quickly each changed out of some of the clothes that they were now wearing. Including Keitaro, of course.

They soon were sufficiently changed into other clothes, and rejoined each other as the need and desire then arose for them all. After leaving their hotel at precisely 8:45 pm, they set off for Independence Hall, so as to hopefully be able to catch at least part, if not all, of a late reading of America's Declaration of Independence and a fireworks show right after that. They remained on the grounds of Independence Hall until sometime close to 10:15 or so at night, local time, listening to that reading and watching the related fireworks show. But eventually, they all began to tire here and now, for all the obvious reasons here. So they ultimately returned to their hotel for the rest of the night.

When they got back, they all began preparing for bed in their rooms, quite naturally enough. Even Keitaro, by the way. But this most certainly would actually not be a night where he would sleep all alone like he had quite often done in the past. This would be a night like none other before in not only his own life, but in the lives of several others, especially with one of his brand-new wives, whoever she might prove to be here, in very short order.

While he was getting ready, then, in one room, all eight of his current wives were in another, beginning to decide some very important things to them all here and now. Especially those wives of his who had been tenants of his for quite some length of time in their respective lives, in fact. As they were themselves getting ready for bed, wherever they might each find themselves sleeping in their hotel, Chandra rather unexpectedly showed her fellow wives that she had in her possession at least a few dice, if not several. She suggested, with a smile, "Why don't we girls all settle the matter of just who gets to be with Keitaro first as they might want to be with him tonight by rolling these dice? That should make it easy enough for us all, wouldn't you think, ladies?"

Six of those fellow wives consulted briefly with each other, and ultimately agreed to do so here. To make it even more interesting, then, they even decided to blindfold one roller at a time, so that they wouldn't hopefully be able to cheat while rolling their dice as needed here. They decided on the order to blindfold each roller by drawing straws, with each straw being picked at random, and going from shortest straw to the longest, while Surya held each straw in her hands for at least a few seconds as needed, of course.

The lengths of the straws had colored tips that none of the wives had yet seen well enough. For they'd each been buried somewhere within a grab bag of sorts that they'd picked up on the way back to their hotel from the grounds of Independence Hall, inside a box of some sort. Surya had randomly withdrawn eight straws, once they'd decided to select each roller by that process, without peeking inside the box, as the others watched her hands and eyes quite well enough. She didn't peek at those straws, and also didn't let the others see the colored tips of them, for all the obvious reasons here and now.

On the count of ten, then, each wife chose a particular straw at random. A violet-tipped straw was the first to be detected, and it ended up in Shinobu's hands, with only the colored tip sufficiently visible as she then took it. She didn't yet reveal its exact length, as she held it in her hand as needed, though. An indigo-tipped straw then showed itself, followed by straws tipped with blue, green, yellow, orange, red, and white, as appropriate enough here, quite naturally enough.

When all eight of them had taken their desired straws, the shortest straw was Shinobu's. Mutsumi had chosen the green straw, and it was second-shortest. Kaolla drew the blue straw, which was the third-shortest. Motoko chose the red straw, which was the fourth-shortest. After that, Koushoku revealed her straw, the yellow one, was the fifth-shortest. Mitsune then showed her indigo straw was the sixth-shortest. Which then left just Chandra and Surya to reveal which of their two straws was the longer one and which one was the shorter. On the count of three, then, both revealed that Surya's orange straw was just a tad bit longer than Chandra's white straw. Meaning that Surya would quite obviously be the last of Keitaro's new wives to be blindfolded here while she'd roll her dice as needed, quite naturally enough.

Two minutes, at most, later, then, Shinobu was quickly blindfolded with a scarf from a nearby suitcase, and made to sit on the floor near one of the beds in the room that they were all now in here. That done, she was then urged to roll the dice that Chandra had given her not too long before, starting with two six-sided dice, and then with an eight-sided die, in fact. Her rolling of the first two dice soon provided a result of ten out of a possible twelve spots. That result was quickly noted in a pad that Chandra soon provided for everyone's use here and now. With that result noted, Shinobu then rolled her single eight-sided die, and it ended up with a result of seven on its uppermost face here. That result was soon noted as well, of course, then.

Mutsumi soon rolled a total of nine with her six-sided dice and a six on her eight-sided die, when she was blindfolded here well enough for a long enough time. After she realized this, she soon said, "It looks like Shinobu is in the lead here. Can anyone else tie or beat her here? We'll all just have to see here, of course."

"My turn, then, everyone," said Su, a few seconds later. She too was blindfolded, of course, but only managed to roll for seven spots total on her six-sided dice and for seven on her eight-sided die. "Rats, looks like I don't get Keitaro tonight, then, Shinobu."

"There'll be other times, Kaolla, I'm sure, if I'm not mistaken, when you'll have your crack at him," said Shinobu. "Hope you aren't too upset here, of course."

"No, not particularly, but it still perhaps would have been quite nice to be able to be with him tonight, I think."

"Understood. Now it's your turn, Motoko. Good luck, of course, if you believe in it enough here."

"Thank you, Shinobu. Same to you, then, of course." Then Motoko was blindfolded. Her results ended up, though, being a total of six on her six-sided dice and two on her eight-sided die. "Very well, then. I suppose it was not meant to be that I was to be with him tonight," said Motoko, eventually, once she saw well enough what she'd just rolled on her dice here and now. "It would have been quite interesting, though, I'm quite sure."

Naru soon rolled, and got a total of four on her six-sided dice, and a four on her eight-sided die, here. Those results were soon noted as necessary and appropriate. "Oh, man. You must be getting really fortunate here, somehow, Shinobu," said Naru. "You still are in the lead here, believe it or not! How is this possible?"

"I have absolutely no idea, Naru, but you're quite obviously not getting him tonight now, of course. The only three of you that might somehow be able to beat me here are Kitsune, Chandra, and Surya, it seems. Your turn, Kitsune, to roll, then."

Kitsune gladly accepted being blindfolded here, and shook her dice for a bit, before letting them go. Her six-sided dice ended up with four spots total on them, while her eight-sided die showed a six on it. "Oh, my word! I've lost him for the night, at least, but maybe I can still get him before you, Naru," said Kitsune.

"We'll have to re-roll, it seems, Kitsune, to break the tie, then," said Naru, with a bit of a frown on her face here, quite naturally enough. "Shinobu's chances look even stronger now, as each of us roll, apparently."

Chandra then had herself blindfolded, after which she rolled a total of three on her six-sided dice and an eight on her eight-sided die. "Guess I don't get him either tonight. It's evidently between just you and Shinobu now, then, Surya. Can you beat her, or is she ultimately going to win him for the night?"

"I don't know, Chandra, but I'm still going to give it my very best possible shot, just the same." Surya somewhat calmly prepared to throw her dice, as she was quickly blindfolded, and soon threw them as needed, when she was sufficiently ready to do just that. As her dice tumbled across the floor and spun at least a little bit, trying to decide just how they'd come to rest, everyone except Surya essentially held their breaths as they watched her dice move as needed here. Ultimately, though, they came to rest sufficiently well on the floor, right in the middle of where everyone else was now in the room here. Surya soon asked, "Did I win, or not, everyone?"

"No, you did not, cousin. Our winner of Keitaro for at least one night, if not more, is Shinobu. You rolled snake-eyes on your six-sided dice, and four on your eight-sided die. Yet, we are not done sufficiently well here. We have a tie to break between Koushoku and Mitsune here, at least, it seems."

"I won Keitaro? Honestly, I won Keitaro?" cried Shinobu.

"Yes, you actually have won your Senpai for at least one night, if not more than that, Shinobu dear," said Naru, several very quiet minutes later, perhaps. "I honestly thought we could each actually top you here, but I guess destiny had other plans here for you both. Either that, or someone must have been looking out for you somehow and somewhere, I think. I believe I speak for all of the rest of us here when I say that there is definitely no worthier girl among us all than you, when it comes to one Keitaro Urashima in all our lives, and that we all hope that you fully enjoy yourself with him tonight. In the meantime, there is at least one more piece of unfinished business that we must attend to here before we prepare you for the night you've hoped for ever since he entered our lives a few years ago. We must break this tie between Kitsune and I for priority in terms of being with Keitaro, of course."

"Thank you for your very kind words, Naru. May we all grow together even more than we've already done as a family from this point on, then, if at all possible. Yes, it seems you're right. How should we resolve the tie, then, Chandra, if I might ask you this?"

Chandra said, "Each of the tied people should roll one six-sided die apiece. Whoever gets the higher number gets priority over the other, in terms of being with Keitaro."

Shinobu thought about that idea for a few seconds, and then said, "As you have suggested, then, Chandra, so shall it be done. Blindfold each of them, and give them one six-sided die apiece. Naru, roll your single die first, if you please." Naru did so, and soon got a result of five.

That number was soon silently noted, and Naru's die collected. Then Kitsune rolled, and her result was also silently noted as well, before her own die was collected, in like manner. Once both dice's results were noted, and both dice collected, as then needed here, Shinobu ordered both blindfolds removed from in front of Naru and Kitsune's eyes here and now. Shinobu then studied each result briefly, before speaking yet again here. "Naru, you rolled a five on your single die. Kitsune, you rolled just one on your single die. Priority, in terms of Keitaro, therefore goes to Naru over Kitsune, right after Motoko and before Chandra. I do believe that concludes the matter of deciding priority in terms of who gets to be with Keitaro first, then. If there is nothing else, then, I do believe that I must prepare for the night that I've wished would come to pass for a very long time now."

All of them soon shook their heads in the negative, and Shinobu noted such in very short order. "Then I do believe it is time for final bedtime preparations, of course, everyone."

Two minutes later, then, eight young women were in one of the nearby bathroom areas for their rooms, helping Shinobu prepare for the night she'd wished to have for a very long time indeed. It wasn't too long at all, in fact, before Shinobu was decked out in a light purple and pink lace-fringed nightgown nearly knee-length and half-backed with four criss-crossing straps running from one side to the other as the need arose for them to here. She also wore a new set of mostly stud-style earrings that she'd somehow found not long after they'd landed in Philadelphia hours before, and they looked like miniature crossed cooking utensils, as they each hung from her ears here and now. On her feet, only a pair of matching slippers to her nightgown were present. All in all, she looked quite the wonderful sight indeed as she still prepared for the happiest night of her still-young life, quite naturally enough. Once she met sufficiently with everyone's approval, among her fellow wives, Naru said, "You look absolutely gorgeous, Shinobu! Go to your beloved, and may you fully enjoy this night that you've wished for ever since he first entered all our lives. Take it from all of us, you're certainly going to get one wonderful man here and now! While we all wish that we could have won him here first, of course, there is nobody else in this world who deserves him more than you, among mortal females, without any doubt whatsoever. Take him to Paradise, if at all possible, then. You really deserve that, we think! Your beloved awaits!"

Not too much later, then, Shinobu knocked on the door of one of the rooms they'd all rented here, and Keitaro said, "Enter, my dear wife, whoever you might be." Shinobu entered the room while his back was still completely turned away from the door, and she said not a word as she moved towards him here. But only after first locking the necessary door to it and starting to dim the lights all over it at least a little bit, wherever she felt the need to do just that here and now, in any case whatsoever.

Mere moments later, she placed her hands in front of his eyes, and waited to see if he could guess which wife had now just entered their room for a few seconds, at least. He was silent for a few moments, as he tried to figure out just whose hands were now in front of his eyes in the half-darkened room here, until he suddenly caught a very faint, yet very pleasing, aroma of peppermint and freshly-made blueberry pies in the air. Once he smelled that aroma quite well enough, he then said, "My beautiful chef, no doubt. So it's the sweetest young woman I have ever known in my entire life who will be with me tonight. I wonder how she was able to manage that, in fact."

"Your other wives and I rolled dice tonight to see who would get you tonight, my beloved. And I won you for tonight, at least. I promise that you absolutely will not have to worry about others in our group thinking that you're doing something wrong tonight with me, for they know that I won you fair and square, Keitaro."

"We will not be disturbed tonight, for sure, then?" He then turned to face her fully here, and soon showed her that he was now wearing a plain white T-shirt and a pair of medium blue and red pajama bottoms.

"If anyone disturbs us needlessly tonight, I will not forgive them, if I can possibly ever avoid it at all. I am yours tonight, and you are mine." With that said, she then reached for his head, and pulled his face towards her for a few seconds. She studied him and his lovely face for a while, and then gently removed her love's glasses, setting them down on a nearby table in the room. For the next nine hours, more or less, at least, they both were then left quite alone with each other in the room that they were both now occupying here by everyone else in their traveling party. As they were, they ultimately made love with each other four times over just about that much time, starting at roughly 11 pm on July 4, 1993, in any case at all here and now.

After waking up at about 8 am local time on July 5, 1993, then, they soon showered, dressed, and prepared for the day ahead with the rest of their traveling party. The travelers soon found a good place to eat their breakfasts at, and then did so in very short order. After they'd all gotten enough to eat for themselves, in terms of breakfast, they spent most of the day exploring the Philadelphia local area to at least some degree, only returning to their hotel rooms again at about 8:30 pm local time for the rest of the night.

A few hours later, they all decided to get ready for bed, and Shinobu soon decided to claim two more nights with Keitaro before it would be Mutsumi's turn with him, if she so desired to take her turn right after Shinobu's time with him was over for a while. So the other seven wives soon found themselves still sleeping in two different rooms while Shinobu was still going to be with Keitaro at night, of course.

As Shinobu prepared for another night with their common husband, Kaolla suddenly asked, "Shinobu, how would you like a very special surprise on your birthday, by any chance at all?"

"What kind of surprise, Kaolla?"

"How about at least one baby, for starters?"

"You can't be serious."

"I am definitely serious, Shinobu. You conceived last night just before midnight. I can tell, because your usual smell has changed at least a little bit. You see, when we Molmolians are exposed to certain people often enough and for a long enough time, we can often memorize people's usual smells quite easily. And when people may periodically do certain intimate acts in their lives, their smell sometimes changes at least a little bit, especially if they've fathered or conceived at least one child, if not more than one, not too long beforehand."

"I see. And you say that my usual smell has changed at least a little bit. However, you seem to forget that human females' gestational periods generally last roughly nine months, more or less, more often than not."

"True, Shinobu, but due to the tablets you and I and Motoko each took earlier, certain things will likely be speeded up to at least some degree, if not to a great degree. Meaning that your period of gestation probably will be much shorter than normal, when it comes to carrying your first batch of children. What's more, two of your eggs were fertilized before breakfast this morning, it seems. You will be having at least triplets, if not quads or quints, in fact, sometime around your birthday, if not on it. Supposing, of course, that I'm not too mistaken here, that is."

"What do you mean two of Shinobu's eggs were fertilized, Kaolla?" asked Mitsune.

"It seems that the tablet she took somehow caused her to double-ovulate, with one egg coming from either side of her. The one that came from her left side did not split, as far as I somehow can tell well enough here and now. At least not yet, if it ever will. However, the one from her right side did split, for sure, as far as I somehow can tell well enough here and now. And she now has at least three different babies that will grow inside her, if I'm not too mistaken here, until it is time for them each to be born, Kitsune."

"Oh, my. Then I wonder what they'll be, once they get here," said Mutsumi.

"What would you like them to be, then, Shinobu, if what Kaolla's saying here is true enough?" asked Koushoku, with a look of friendship then on her face here.

"If Kaolla's right about me already being with at least one child by Keitaro, then I hope I can give him at least one of each, quite naturally enough. And I hope at least one of them ends up with his lovely eyes, for example, Naru," answered Shinobu, as she finished the last of her preparations for another night with Keitaro.

Motoko soon suggested, "Shinobu, it would be best, I think, not to tell him that you're having triplets, at least, just yet. Tell him, if you feel you must, that you are carrying at least one child by him. But until we know for sure just how many babies will be growing inside you for a while, I would recommend that you refrain from telling him just how many are going to be doing so. I say this here so that there hopefully is much less of a real chance that he actually will be overwhelmed by the news that you are perhaps carrying multiples, once you'd tell him so well enough for sure. It will be enough of a surprise, I think, for you to tell him in the first place that you will be having at least one child by him in the near future. But it most certainly will be much more of a surprise for him to learn that you will be carrying more than one child by him this time, if Kaolla's thoughts are sufficiently accurate here, it now seems to me here. Considering his current condition, I would think it prudent to do all that we can to see to his mental and physical health, at least, if not also to his health in any other way for his own life."

Shinobu considered that advice for a few minutes in relative silence, before eventually saying, "That seems reasonable enough, Motoko. At least for now, anyway. But I still think it would possibly be a good idea for me to tell him that I might be carrying multiples by him, for the obvious reasons."

"Yes, of course you should. But I just think that you should wait at least a little while longer until we know for sure if you are, and just how many babies you'll be carrying if you are. Listen, I'm definitely not saying, Shinobu, that he shouldn't ultimately know about them, for they're unquestionably his, you know. But I am saying that I think that at least until we know more about what your current situation might be, in such a thing or in such things, it might be best to postpone the news of multiple for at least a little while here, if at all possible," said Motoko.

"Very well, Motoko. I shall keep this between just the eight of us, at least for now, if at all possible. But I will not do so forever, if I can help it. And the rest of you better not let this news slip to anyone else, if you can possibly avoid it somehow, or else, before I decide to let him know about this sort of thing or these sorts of things. I may possibly tell him tonight that he and I will have at least one baby, or I might tell him some length of time later. But he still has a right to know this, just the same, for all the obvious reasons here, everyone. Is that quite clear here?"

"Of course it is," said Chandra.

"That's just how it should be, too, I think," added Surya.

About three or four minutes later, then, at most, Shinobu walked into Keitaro's room, shut the door, and locked it behind her, quite naturally enough. The door was not unlocked again fully until some length of time after 6:30 or so in the morning of July 6, 1993. When it was, Shinobu and Keitaro were already largely ready for the day, even after sharing a brief shower with each other in his room, in fact.

By 9:30, all nine of them were in a train car with each other, and speeding off towards New York City on a high-speed train route. They arrived in New York City by no later than 10:45 in the morning, and soon decided to explore New York City for most of the day, in fact. The first place they went to after leaving Pennsylvania Station, which was also commonly called Penn Station, then, was Wall Street. They then toured in its area for a while, before leaving for Broadway. They soon caught a play there, and finished doing so by 4 in the afternoon, at the very latest. After which, they then left for the 72nd Street Ferry, so that they might perhaps be able to pass by the Statue of Liberty, for instance.

They rode the ferry for a little while, and then headed off towards Times Square. When they saw the huge number of people obviously from various places all over the world, they were very surprised indeed. True, they had already seen many people of all kinds during their trip, of course, but not quite as diverse in terms of present ethnicities as they then seemed to be anywhere at all in Times Square. Many shops of many different kinds were spread out quite extensively all throughout Times Square, including ones selling assorted stuffed animals and/or assorted items of apparel, for instance.

Eventually, though, they all had to return to Pennsylvania Station for their mutual trip back to Philadelphia for the night. They were back at that train station and gone from it by 7:30 pm, and as they all rode the train back to Philadelphia, they all began to wind down mentally from the events of the day. Especially Keitaro and Shinobu, who had been most interested in a lot of the things that they'd seen earlier that day, and had most likely done the most of all nine travelers on it while they were all with each other in the New York area, for that matter.

Eventually, they all were back in their hotel in Philadelphia, and sufficiently prepared for bedtime by no later than 11 pm at night. As was definitely expected by all Keitaro's other wives here and now, Shinobu soon claimed another night with Keitaro, knowing that it would likely be her last chance to do so for at least three weeks, due to the number of wives that he now had in his own life. For Mutsumi and the others would, of course, have to have their own chances to be with him as well, to be fair to all of them as well. So Keitaro's other seven wives soon let Shinobu claim him for one more night, quite naturally enough, and began to prepare themselves for their own times with him in the near future. Especially Mutsumi, for her first night with Keitaro would be the following night, in fact.

They were all in their desired sleeping areas by no later than 11 at night, even Shinobu and Keitaro. Shinobu entered Keitaro's room, and then locked the door behind her in very short order, so that she and Keitaro might not be needlessly disturbed by anyone else at all until at least 6 or so on the following morning.

The following morning, everyone in their entire current traveling party here was up by no later than 7 in the morning, even Shinobu and Keitaro. Everyone was sufficiently ready for the day ahead and had fully consumed their respective breakfasts no more than an hour after that. They all were out of their hotel by 8 in the morning, and leaving Philadelphia on a train for Washington by 8:30.

As they rode the train to Washington, Keitaro asked, "Where do you ladies all want to go today, while we're in Washington, if I might ask?"

Kaolla said, "If it's possible, I'd like to see the Smithsonian, if I may, Kei-Baby. Especially the Air and Space Museum part of it, I think."

"I think that I'd like to see the White House and the Capitol, at least," said Mutsumi.

Koushoku said, "The Washington Monument, perhaps."

"The Pentagon might be nice, if possible, I think," said Motoko.

Other wives of his soon made other suggestions, and Keitaro soon said, "Perhaps we might be able to swing by at least a few of those places, everyone. However, I really don't think we'll have enough time to see them all today, unfortunately. I will see if we might be able to see at least a few of those things, but don't be surprised if it's just not possible for us to see them all here today, somehow."

"Very well, Keitaro," said Motoko.

"I do think, though, that we might be able to see at least the Capitol and the White House, if nothing else at all, just the same, everyone."

"That would be great, I think," said Chandra.

Eventually, their train pulled into Union Station, and they soon disembarked from it, and headed off towards the White House, the first chance that they all got to do just that. They soon took a short tour of the White House, and then went to the Capitol for another tour of sorts. While they were at the Capitol, they even met with a good-sized number of Senators and Representatives, for instance, as they were somehow able to actually eat lunch near them before leaving the Capitol. Chandra and Surya found themselves often translating conversations between their fellow travelers and any number of those Senators and Representatives as they were doing so, in fact.

All in all, their time in the United States Capitol Building was quite pleasant, at least for the most part, if not entirely. And everyone in their party was quite well-behaved, for that matter. Even Kaolla, in fact. By the time they left the Capitol, they had even managed to get pictures taken with a good-sized number of the now-present Senators and/or Representatives, though not with all the current members of Congress's two Houses.

They eventually left the Capitol behind, and began touring a number of the monuments, for instance, in the local area after doing so. They did this for a good while before they eventually all had to return with each other back to Union Station for their inevitable trip back to Philadelphia later that day, quite naturally enough. Koushoku was quite pleased, for instance, when they were able to somehow manage to see the Washington Monument, even though they weren't actually able to go up in it well enough then.

The nine of them saw various other places of considerable interest as well in the local area, but the Pentagon was unfortunately not one of them. At least not at this time, if it ever would be possible for them to visit it somehow, in fact. Motoko wasn't too happy about that, but she still realized that some things just weren't actually possible for them here and now, just the same.

They eventually returned to Union Station for their trip back to Philadelphia, and were back in their hotel by no later than 9:40 pm. Once they were there, all of them eventually had their respective suppers, and began preparing for bed, quite naturally enough. After their late supper, Keitaro soon went to his room, where he was eventually joined by Mutsumi, who soon locked the door behind her, of course, and they were both left alone for the rest of the night.

Shinobu said, "I hope Mutsumi has fun tonight, just like I did the last three nights before now. I wish I could be with him again now, of course, but it's her turn to have a crack at him, girls. Just as it will be later on for the rest of you, you know."

"You'll have another chance with him eventually, I'm sure, Shinobu," said Koushoku. "You've never intentionally mistreated him, you know. I just wish, however, that those aliens had never blasted him like they did, though. It's one thing for any of us to have gone after him like we might have done earlier, but it's another thing entirely for certain others to do so. You don't know how much I, for instance, wish that I had never mistreated him like I have in the past. I mean, it wasn't his fault that his grandmother made him the manager of our Dorm, of course. Yes, he's done things that he probably shouldn't have, but not necessarily by choice."

Shinobu and the rest of Keitaro's wives other than Mutsumi conversed with each other for at least a little while before they each began to fall asleep as the need or desire for them then arose for each of them. All of them were then quite soundly asleep in their respective desired sleeping areas by no later than local midnight, in any case at all, for that matter. And so they slept, not likely to wake up again at all before at least 6 am on the following morning of July 8, 1993, by the way.

They all left their hotel by no later than 8:15 in the morning, and went off to the same airport that they'd flown to in the Philadelphia local area, before catching a flight to Miami. That flight took them perhaps just about three or so hours, at most, including terminal-clearance time on both ends, to complete sufficiently well. After which, they soon decided to hit a beach for a while with each other, and perhaps even do some shopping in the area, if at all possible, in fact. During the day, they eventually also decided to split up the group so that part of the group could fly to Peru and part of it could fly to Brazil. Those that decided to go to Peru were Keitaro, Shinobu, Mutsumi, and Kaolla. While those that decided to go to Brazil were Motoko, Koushoku, Mitsune, Chandra, and Surya.

After they decided that, they then decided that those who would be going to Peru would be flying into Lima, and those that would be going to Brazil would be flying into Rio de Janeiro. Keitaro then put Motoko in charge of those going to Brazil, for the obvious security reasons here, of course. Chandra soon saw to the necessary flight arrangements along with her cousin and co-wife Surya, and both flights were arranged as needed by no later than 6:15 pm local time, in any case at all

Everyone was back at Miami's main airport by no later than 7, and on both necessary planes as required by no later than 7:45. Both of the then-applicable planes took off, then, by no later than 8 pm local time, for either Lima or Rio de Janeiro. And so the nine became two sub-groups, at least for the time being, though not permanently, in fact.

* * *

I don't know just how the next chapter of this will turn out just yet, people, but I think I have some good enough ideas about it that might just work out well enough for it. Like perhaps a major battle of some sort, for instance? Hopefully it actually will somehow be quite well worth the inevitable wait here! Until later, please take care, and God bless, and all that, everyone. Stay safe, and I hope to see you all back here again for another very exciting chapter of _The One You Miss Most_! God willing, that is, quite naturally enough. This is The Universal Storyteller signing off here and now, until some later date, then!


	8. Chapter Eight: Travels & Hassles, Pt 2

Here is Chapter Eight, finally after much delay, mostly unwillingly, people. In this chapter, many things will begin changing quite significantly indeed in and around the Hinata City local area, if they haven't already. There will most definitely be fatalities, and many people will be hurt. Not only that, but the Terrans' main enemies will finally be identified, at least in part, if not entirely. And you will all finally see at least a few of them in this chapter. For I actually have a section of it devoted specifically to the Terrans' enemies, for that matter. But it's not all going to be bad here, for there are some scenes that will perhaps please those of you who are Keitaro x Motoko fans, for instance. And there will be much love shared between various characters not named Keitaro or Motoko. Even the Senshi and their Knights will see themselves often finding love, among other things.

Well, I suppose I'd best let you read the chapter now, and not spoil it any further for you all, everyone. So I hereby give you Chapter Eight, in the hopes that you all will gladly read and review it, quite naturally enough, for all the obvious reasons here and now, then. This is The Universal Storyteller signing off here and now! Hope you generally enjoy the chapter, then, everyone!

* * *

Chapter Eight: Happy Honeymooners and Hinatan Hassles? [Part Two]

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Japan, it was now Friday, and roughly 9 am in the morning of, July 9, 1993. Little did anyone yet know this well enough, at least on the Terrans' side of things, if not also on the sides of any other kinds of sentient beings in the Universe, but this day would be a day of major importance to many people, whether they were already born or not, for many years into the future. And it would change many things permanently for most, if not all, of them, for that matter.

At the aforementioned time, several dozen construction workers were already working on the renovating of the necessary areas on the Hinata Apartments' grounds, under the quite careful eyes of at least Mamoru and Haruka Urashima, if not anyone else as well, in fact. They all worked for a while there, without any idea or ideas whatsoever about what might actually happen on the grounds later on that very day. None of them yet knew of just what the Senshi's new enemies might now be planning here, for all the obvious reasons, of course.

All of a sudden, at about 10:30 am, something streaked down from somewhere out in space and struck the roof of the Hinata Apartments' main building. It punched a rather large hole in it, and started a good-sized fire when it finally came to rest on the second floor of the building. The resulting fire soon spread rather rapidly, and the entire female dorm was quickly aflame. Many construction workers fled as best as they could for their own respective mortal lives, of course. But several of them were not actually able to get out of the dorm before it then began to burn rather quickly indeed and/or before they eventually died within it somehow.

Mamoru quickly shifted into his Tuxedo Kamen state of being, even while calling all available allies of his to the Apartments' grounds here and now, for the obvious reasons. Haruka couldn't actually shift to a similar enough state, of course. But she and Tuxedo Kamen still both tried to rescue any number of the construction workers here, just the same. And even as the entire Hinata Apartments grounds began to come under major attack from some yet-unknown foe somewhere out in outer space. As they did so, several dozen, at least, if not several hundred, monsters soon appeared as well on those grounds, and began hunting for potential prey to capture or destroy on those very same grounds, for that matter.

Many Senshi, Knights, and any number of other superhero-type characters soon showed up as well to begin fighting against those numerous monsters and/or somehow actually rescue those who were then in great, if not in mortal, danger anywhere at all on the entire Hinata Apartments grounds. Yet, they still wouldn't somehow actually be able to save all the buildings, if any of the buildings, on them, most likely, due to the rather simple fact that they were all under quite heavy attack at the current moment. Either from somewhere out in outer space or from any number of the various monsters that had just appeared on them rather suddenly indeed. As they all then fought and/or tried to rescue any number of construction workers, the entire female dorm quickly burned to the ground, and very little, if any, of it still survived somehow. The annex that was now being used as the male dorm soon followed, with a similar enough fate, and very little, if any, of it did so as well.

Once everyone realized sufficiently well indeed that the Hinata Apartments were undoubtedly doomed, they all then evacuated the immediate and general area of them in very short order as best as they each could do just that well enough somehow. Although not without any regret and without any fatalities for any number of the many then-present construction workers, just the same. Several construction workers lost their lives, but all were still evacuated from the Apartments' area, somehow, well enough. As the Hinata Apartments burned, then, at least hundreds, if not thousands, of other people in the Hinata local area were somehow evacuated sufficiently well from it, though not without at least some difficulty, of course.

As several Senshi and Knights and Rangers, at least saw to the evacuation of as many people from there as possible, any number of other fighters remained behind at least a little while longer to hopefully be able to hold off their opponents long enough for them to do so well enough, before leaving the area themselves, of course. The last of them to leave the area behind well enough were Sailor Moon, Sailor Skyhorse, Tuxedo Kamen, and the Pilgrim, and they departed it for the Tokyo local area as best as they then could through a mutual Sailor Teleport.

When they all appeared well enough in a park in Azabu Juuban with each other, then, Sailor Moon soon said, "I wish we could have saved everyone, Tuxedo Kamen."

"It wasn't possible, Sailor Moon. And I really don't like that fact, but we can only do so much. Even as superhero-type people, we can only do so much. We can't be everywhere at the same time, unfortunately, whenever these kinds of things happen anywhere else in the Universe."

"It's not fair that those innocents had to die, Tuxedo Kamen."

"True, but we still can't stop everything perfectly well," he agreed, with quite a bit of sadness then showing on his face here. "Just like I couldn't actually stop my parents somehow from dying in the accident that left me an orphan, you know, Sailor Moon."

"Who did this? Why did they? What is the reason for their attacking of innocents? When will we be able to avenge the lost innocents? Where did they attack us from, exactly? How are we going to stop them from destroying everyone and everything they might be going against here and now? Will we actually be able to defeat them like we've defeated any number of our other enemies in the past? Or will we die again in battle with victory beyond our grasps, and most likely little or no hope of ever achieving it?" asked Sailor Moon.

"I don't have answers to those questions, and I'm quite certain that none of the others besides you or me do either, for that matter, Usagi," said Tuxedo Kamen, as he then shifted back into his civilian state of being here and now, along with all the others now with him here, once it was safe enough for them all to do so, in fact.

Not much later, then, they all went to Usagi's home, and were met at the door by her parents. When they were, Ikuko soon asked Usagi, "Are you all right, Usagi? Did anyone get killed?"

"I'll be fine, but the Hinata Apartments are gone. Yes, an unknown number of construction workers got killed, but none of us were killed, when they were destroyed or heavily damaged."

"The news said that there were quite a good-sized number of monsters that appeared near and in the Hinata local area. Were they all destroyed?" asked Ikuko.

"No, quite unfortunately, they weren't all destroyed, from what I've managed to find out so far, after the battle that the Hinata Apartments were just destroyed or heavily damaged in, somehow. Several of them, at least, evidently avoided destruction somehow. I really hope that they'll never return, but they very well could, I think. It seems that the Senshi, at least, have a new enemy to face in battle, for quite some time indeed. And they may all have quite a battle on their hands before everything is said and done well enough here with that very enemy, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"You look terrible, Usagi. You should perhaps get a bath or something," said Kenji.

"I think so too. Mamoru, please stay downstairs with Rolando. Sylvia, let's go to my room, if you don't mind too much."

"Before you do that, though, Usagi, where is Shingo?" asked Ikuko.

"Shingo is going to be sleeping at Rei's for at least the time being, by his choice, it seems. He'll be just fine, Mom. Several of my friends are watching over him now."

"Okay. Does he plan to come back home tonight?" asked Ikuko.

"No, he and a number of other people are going to be sleeping at Rei's tonight," answered Usagi.

"I see. And what of your other friends, then?"

"They all made it, somehow, sufficiently well away from the Hinata Apartments. I'll be heading out later, I think, with Rolando, Sylvia, and Mamoru, to meet up with a number of them, just so you know, Mom and Dad."

"Understood, Usagi. You plan to spend the night at one of your friends' places, right?" asked Kenji.

"Yes, I think so. Mamoru and Rolando can go back to Mamoru's if necessary for the rest of the night. While Sylvia and I should hopefully be able to find somewhere to sleep well enough tonight, I think."

"Very well. We'll not wait up for you, then, if you do go out like you're planning to do here and now."

"Understood, Dad." Moments later, then, Usagi and Sylvia went to Usagi's room, and soon secured the room as needed from any potential prying eyes, ears, and/or any other potential sensing devices to the best of their mutual ability to do just that.

Once that was unquestionably done sufficiently well here, Sylvia soon said, "It's never easy being unable to save someone, Usagi."

"Yes, that is so. I hate it whenever we're not able to save someone from things like this, Sylvia. I really hate it a whole lot! Why are those who did this doing this?"

"I really have no idea at all about such things, Usagi. But they really do seem to have a real fixation indeed on the Hinatans for some yet-unknown reason, and especially on Keitaro Urashima, if I'm not too mistaken here. What is so vitally important about him here and now that would actually make them really want to destroy him or anyone who might be close enough to him in his own mortal life? I'd really like to know, I think, for sure."

Usagi soon pulled out a few items of clothing for herself and for Sylvia, after seeing that Sylvia was also perhaps in need of a bath as well here well enough. She then asked, "Sylvia, would you prefer to bathe first or second here?"

"Second. I'll be fine for at least a little while longer. Keep your clothes, Usagi, for I just happen to have others in my own subspace pocket right now."

"Huh?"

"I had a feeling somehow that there might be trouble sometime today, right after I woke up where we went when we had to relocate temporarily from the Hinata Apartments grounds earlier. So I stashed some of my clothes in it, not yet knowing just what to expect, entirely, but while still realizing that there might indeed be trouble today, just in case my feeling proved to be sufficiently accurate here, you see. And you should know the rest by now, I hope."

"Where do you think those who were lost will spend Eternity, Sylvia?"

"If they weren't actually saved, then they'll each spend it in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, most likely, if I'm not too mistaken here. As for the mortal souls of all the various monsters and/or various other sentient beings from anywhere else in the Universe that have existed so far in our Universe's own history, I really have no idea whatsoever just where they'll each be for eternity, of course. They could spend it in Heaven, or they could spend it in the other place I just mentioned, you know, Usagi. I really do hope that you'll actually happen to fully accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour before it's somehow too late for you to do just that, though, just the same. Along with the rest of your own crowd's member who haven't yet done so well enough, quite obviously enough."

Minutes later, then, Usagi began taking a bath, while Sylvia stood guard outside the bathroom, for the obvious reasons. Eventually, Usagi asked for Sylvia's help with her bath, and Sylvia then entered the bathroom to do just that, as now needed and/or desired for Usagi. Sylvia helped Usagi wash her back, among other things, and then briefly gave her back her privacy again, quite naturally enough. After which, Sylvia then helped Usagi take care of her hair again at least a little bit.

Once Usagi was sufficiently satisfied with her current appearance well enough here, she soon gave Sylvia her own privacy as well. She took at least one, if not more than one, turn of guard duty outside the bathroom as well, for the obvious reasons, before returning the favor to Sylvia of helping her wash her back, at least, in it. Eventually, both young women were sufficiently satisfied with their respective current appearances and went downstairs to the Tsukinos' living room area, quite naturally enough. They briefly conversed with Kenji and Ikuko, before moving to their respective boyfriends' sides and taking their hands in their own for a few seconds each.

"Stay safe, Usagi and all, then," said Ikuko.

"As best as we can, no doubt, Mom. I love you both, you know. See you soon, I hope."

The four younger people soon left the Tsukino residence behind in very short order. They briefly stopped off at the _Crown Arcade_, where several of their friends and associates were now having meals quickly prepared by Motoki, Unazuki, Makoto, and Shinozaki, at least, if not anyone else as well. Also a number of other people who'd most likely never appeared in it before were there as well. The establishment was currently closed to the public, but there were still at least fifty to one hundred people in it, even if at least some of them currently were unable to sit in booths or at tables in it, just the same. Many of them were, of course, the Senshi or Knights in their respective civilian forms.

When they got there, having been expected already, they were soon let into it, and served a few meals by Motoki and others. Shingo said, "It's good to see that you made it away well enough from the Hinata Apartments, Usagi. I was really concerned that you and several other people wouldn't be able to get away from there easily enough when our opponents proved rather hard to beat earlier today."

"Yes, I'm glad that I did, of course. Although I really wish we could have saved the construction workers who were killed in the process of the attacks, you know, Shingo," said Usagi, as she bravely tried to keep herself from crying yet again over those the Senshi and their allies weren't actually able to save from death well enough.

"It really hurts you to lose people in battle, doesn't it, Usagi?"

"Very much, Shingo. Especially when they're mere innocents, in fact. I will never get used to losing people like that, I hope. Sure, death may eventually come to many, if not all, of us in time. But I will never get used to such things by choice, if I can possibly ever avoid it at all, for sure. I really hate having to actually fight and perhaps even kill any number of other potentially sentient beings, and I'm sure many of the rest of us do too, for that matter," said Usagi.

"Why are they so determined to fight you and your allies, then?"

"They quite often want to try to take over or destroy as much of the Universe as they possibly can. And steal whatever they possibly can that might perhaps let them do just that, Shingo," said Ami.

"Like what, for instance?" asked Shingo.

"Your sister's Imperium Silver Crystal, for example. Show them, if you please, what it is, Usagi-chan."

Usagi soon made her Imperium Silver Crystal emerge from inside her current transformation brooch, and said, "Shingo, when we fought Queens Beryl and Metallia, for instance, this is mainly what the Dark Kingdom, AKA the Negaverse, was after, hoping that it'd somehow be able to help them take over or conquer this planet, at least, if not the rest of the solar system, the rest of the Galaxy, and/or the rest of the Universe. This is what any number of our past enemies have often sought as well, and I have absolutely no doubt that many others will seek to claim it for themselves, if at all possible, in the future, whether it's the near future or distant future. Many have died because of it, and many more will most likely do the same in the future."

"Even you, Usagi?"

"Even me, Shingo, quite possibly. This is a stone with dual natures. It can be a stone of life, or a stone of death, depending on who somehow actually controls it well enough. Also, this was our real mother's Imperium Silver Crystal, in fact, during the Silver Millennium, before it eventually became mine in time. We were sent into the future by her a long time ago, to live in this time period. We and many other sentient beings originally came from the Moon, for example, before she somehow sent countless people to Earth in the hopes that they could have peaceful enough lives in the future, meaning now. But it was not meant to be the case for many, if not all, of us, unfortunately. You remember absolutely nothing of your time on the Moon in the Silver Millennium, and I also happen to know that you don't actually remember ever fighting as a Knight during our battle with the Dark Moon Family a while ago, as well. Your memories of those times have been blocked ever since the end of our conflict against the Dark Moon Family, at least, if not since the end of the Silver Millennium."

"How were they blocked, then, Usagi?" asked Shingo.

"I asked my crystal to grant you all your freedom from having to fight, if at all possible, for the rest of your respective lives, and to grant you the ability to forget the battles that you had to fight as Knights, for instance, if it could possibly be permitted at all, Shingo."

"Then why are we having to fight again as Senshi or Knights or whatever else we might be, Usagi?" asked Shingo, quite curious about such a thing here, quite naturally enough.

"Because it seems that the crystal's seal on each of you might very well have been weakened enough to require each of you who had been sealed by it to return to actual combat states of being, somehow. Several of us think that it might very well have been the case that when Keitaro Urashima, at least, if not anyone else as well, was attacked just like he was by unknown alien forces, it could have somehow been weakened and unable to maintain its integrity well enough to keep you all from fighting at least once more in your respective lives. Several of you might not actually have your memories back from fighting like you each did earlier yet, if you ever will get them back. But we still suspect very strongly indeed that you will all get them back eventually, if you don't already have them, just the same."

Shingo thought about that for a while, and then asked, "How might your Crystal have caused this, then, Usagi?"

"It is a stone of extremely immense power, somehow, Shingo. Enough power, in fact, that it can perhaps destroy at least a world, if not at least an entire solar system, if it gets in the wrong hands well enough for a long enough period of time. It is very often quite hard to hide from those with evil intentions on their minds in this Universe. And many have sought to claim it for their own evil purposes, whatever those evil purposes might actually be in it. Queens Beryl and Metallia, her superior, were just the first to seek to claim it, as far as I know, long ago. They both also sought to claim it in this particular time period as well, but were fortunately unsuccessful, ultimately, in their attempts to do so well enough. Then the Black Moon Family sought to claim it, and then the Death Busters did. We Senshi and our allies during those conflicts somehow were able to keep them from doing so, but it still wasn't all that easy for us to do so well enough, to be totally honest with you here."

Shingo thought about that for a while, and then asked, "So what about Chiba-usa, then?"

"Chiba-usa is my and Mamoru's future daughter, Shingo, just in case you don't already know this well enough."

"No kidding, Usagi?"

"No kidding, Shingo."

"When does this happen, then?"

"Sometime yet in the future, Mamoru and I will marry. You should already know by now what that'll entail, I hope, Shingo."

"Yes, unfortunately, it seems I do, Usagi. So how many kids are you expecting to have, then, if I might ask?"

"Just the one you know about now well enough, Shingo. Chiba-Usa hasn't actually told us if we have any more kids besides her, though."

"Does my sister have any more kids besides Chiba-usa, then, Meioh-san?" asked Shingo.

"I can't tell you, Shingo-kun," said Setsuna. "I am prohibited from telling you for certain reasons that I am not currently allowed to divulge to you here, unfortunately."

"I see. So you can't tell me, even if my sister orders you to, Meioh-san?"

"No, I can't, Shingo-kun. She may be a Princess at present, but these reasons go above even her at the current time, at least," said Setsuna.

"Usagi a Princess? Seriously, you must be joking."

Hotaru said, "Meioh-san is not joking, Shingo. Both she and her future daughter were, are, or will be Princesses, at least until they become Queens themselves in the future. In fact, several of us now here are Princesses and/or Princes ourselves, for that matter."

"If that is so, then I want to see what you each look like as Princesses and Princes, if I may, for those who are those things, Hotaru-sempai."

"Only if Usagi honestly wishes us to do so will we do so, Shingo, for she is our leader and the Moon Princess, at least at the current time."

Shingo and Usagi briefly shared a look between each other here, before Usagi finally said, "Very well, Shingo, you will see us in our royal forms, if you so desire. But those of you who are not actually members of my Sailor Senshi and/or Knights team must all look away and/or close your eyes briefly until or unless we all say otherwise here and now, then. Midori, Gurio, Rolando, and Sylvia, you do not, if you do not wish to, though. We must first make sure that any and/or all of our potential or actual enemies don't somehow manage to see, hear, or detect us as we change to them as well, of course."

"Are you completely serious, Usagi?" asked Shingo.

Usagi shot him a very serious look indeed, and he saw that she most definitely was, so he and many others then in the _Crown Arcade_ quickly complied with their directions as needed here. When it was then safe enough for the Sol System Senshi and Knight-type people to do so well enough here, they each soon transformed to their respective royal forms as needed and/or desired here, quite naturally enough. Several pillars of bright light in various colors very soon afterward shrouded each of them for a few brief moments apiece, as appropriate for each of them here and now, of course, for that matter. Moments after they began changing to their respective royal forms, then, they were all in their necessary royal outfits, no matter what they were.

After they each were sufficiently satisfied with their respective appearances at present, then, Usagi soon allowed everyone else who was now present in the _Crown Arcade_ to open their eyes and/or turn around as needed and/or desired here, of course. Even Shingo, by the way. As expected, Usagi was in her Princess Serenity form in very short order, wearing a mostly white empire-style nearly floor-length dress with several gold rings, puffed and ribbed shoulders, and two rows of pearls on it over a barely visible pair of silver and gold strapped sandals. The other necessary people here were in their own appropriate colors and outfits as needed and/or desired here too, for that matter. For instance, Ami was in her standard light blue, and wearing a considerably more conservative style of dress than did Usagi here. Rei was in a vibrant red dress with a purple sash, Makoto in green and pink, and the others were in certain other colors as needed here, as well. Their Knights or similar enough associates were each in appropriate enough colors, for the obvious reasons here and now. Although Nephlyte chose not to wear pink, but wore something in light brown instead along with green for his overall outfit here under his General-style jacket, just the same.

Eventually, everyone who'd shifted to their respective royal forms started to mingle around more with the others now with them, at Usagi's urging, if they'd not already begun to do so well enough here. In time, Usagi eventually said, "Endymion, would you care to dance now, perhaps?"

"Where do you want me to dance with you, then, Serenity?"

"Right here is just fine, I think, darling. Motoki and Unazuki, along with several others, are proceeding to move several of the tables and chairs around here elsewhere here and now so as to perhaps allow us all to dance for a while, if we so choose to, it seems." It wasn't much longer, then, before the movable chairs and tables were actually parked, so to speak, along at least one or two walls of the arcade, sufficiently well. When that was done well enough, then, Motoki then programmed a nearby jukebox to play several pieces of music with varying lengths and/or styles, after first taking several requests for them from everyone else then in the arcade with him here.

Everyone danced for a while, until about 7:30 pm, more or less, before they eventually decided to disperse to several other places in the local area. For instance, Shingo, Kagome, and several others went to Rei's place for a while for the night. Several others went to various hotel rooms that Mamoru had earlier arranged for them not long after they'd all left the Hinata local area for Tokyo, as well, among other places in the Tokyo local area. Of course, many of them wished that they hadn't actually been beaten in the battle and that they'd not actually seen the devastation left in the Hinata local area by their new enemies, especially on the grounds of the Hinata Apartments.

Haruka Urashima was especially that way here and now. And she wondered just how she was now going to somehow break the news to the nine currently-honeymooning Urashimas of the fact that the Hinata Apartments grounds had been attacked and utterly destroyed or heavily damaged as they had just been by unknown aliens. In fact, her own Tea Shop had even been hit heavily, at least, if not totally destroyed as well. She soon promised quite lasting and perhaps quite permanent vengeance on those specific sentient beings who were actually responsible for all the death and damage that had then been left on the Hinata Apartments' grounds, if at all possible for her, in the future. Not just for the not inconsequential damage to her Tea Shop, but also for the destruction and/or heavy damage to the Hinata Apartments' grounds, for that matter.

Seta soon said to Haruka Urashima, "Keitaro won't like this, no doubt, Haruka. And I know you know how the girls might take the news of this sort of thing, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"Those aliens had better really hope that our girls never find the ones responsible for this sort of thing, I think, Seta. This will most definitely mean great peril for them, at least, if not also for our girls or anyone else, for that matter, if I'm not too mistaken here. Our dear Shinobu will perhaps want to avenge her cherished kitchen, for instance. There was a lot of family history in that old place of ours. It may have been quite old and have needed much repair in various places, of course, but it was our family home for a long time, even before it became a girls-only dorm or an inn not too long ago. Hina will most certainly not be pleased at this particular sort of thing either, I'm quite sure."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Question is, then, how do we rebuild, et cetera?" asked Seta.

"I have no idea for sure, just yet, Seta. But perhaps we can actually do so well enough somehow in the near future. I'm quite sure that the girls will have plenty of ideas about how to rebuild it as best as possible, for the obvious reasons, just as soon as possible. But in the meantime, I wonder where we're going to put everyone until the place is rebuilt often enough, if we have to take care of them for a long enough period of time, of course."

"I'm sure things will work out in that regard somehow, Haruka. Of course, none of us yet know just how that will be done well enough here and now, but hopefully we'll all eventually find out soon enough, you know."

Eventually, Motoki and his sister Unazuki were the only two members of Usagi's group of friends and/or associates who were still anywhere at all on the _Crown Arcade_'s premises. And they both soon locked the necessary doors and/or windows as needed and as possible, quite naturally enough. Not long after doing that, they both went to their own respective beds for the rest of the night, of course, if and when the need and/or desire for them to do so arose well enough in their own lives here and now.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere on a world perhaps about 24,000 light years away from the Sol system, several aliens were then meeting with each other and at least two other sentients of perhaps Terran or divine origin to discuss how they all might possibly be able to change history quite significantly in their favor. For they were generally from the future, at least for the most part, if not entirely. And they really wanted to make as sure as they could that those who might potentially oppose them in it wouldn't actually be able to do so well enough, in fact. In their home time period, things weren't all that great for them, for some reason or reasons, and they all didn't really like that particular fact very much at all. Hence their extremely great desire to then change history as best as they could just as soon as they could, if they possibly could ever do just that somehow in the Universe, for that matter.

The aliens now having that meeting had generally, though not entirely, come from a very particular time where countless descendants of Keitaro Urashima and certain others close enough to him had not only explored many, if not most or all, of the then-known inhabited solar systems in the Milky Way Galaxy. But those countless descendants of the Hinatans, at least, had also periodically sent out innumerable colonizers and/or ambassadors to those very same solar systems, at least, if not also substantial military-type forces to them as well. Those countless descendants of Keitaro and certain others had, in essence, come to greatly populate many such systems, including the aliens' main system or systems, by the way. At least in the time period from which those aliens had come, anyway.

They were currently meeting with two beings of either Terran or divine origin, but which it was for sure, they didn't actually know one way or another. Those other two beings were Apollyon Beelzebub and Lilith, Apollyon's wife and/or daughter from the time of Adam, in fact. They were in alliance with them and the various demonic beings that they had at their disposals, for that matter, in their quest to eliminate Keitaro Urashima and those close enough to him in his life before it was too late to prevent them from doing what they would do in the future of the time period they'd recently come from earlier. Apollyon and Lilith had, in the future, offered them all a reasonably good chance at perhaps changing the future quite considerably in their favor, through certain mortals that they'd influenced in it. The aliens that had earlier attacked Keitaro and possibly others had strongly considered the chance at perhaps changing the future quite considerably in their favor, and had accepted the aforementioned proposition. Therefore, the aliens were now allied with Apollyon and Lilith, and had, as a result of that alliance, attacked at least Keitaro, if not others as well, once they had learned one of the main architects, if not the main architect of the future that they'd gone back in time to try and prevent from ever actually becoming permanently unchangeable for them. At least as far as they and their kinds of aliens were considered, anyway.

Thirteen Directors and several other aliens were then present at the meeting they were now having with Apollyon and Lilith, and the one that was currently ascendant among them was named Gorehi. Gorehi greatly resembled a moon goddess in the aliens' most commonly believed-in mythology, in fact. Two of the thirteen Directors now represented one sign of their most commonly-used zodiacal system, while the other eleven each represented one such sign apiece in it. Their rough zodiacal equivalents to the ones that Terrans generally considered as signs of the Zodiac were as follows:

Aries on Earth was roughly equivalent to their Krealai. Taurus to Xanda. Gemini to Fysevo. Cancer to Shoath. Leo to Kyl. Virgo to Anar. Libra to Voazas. Scorpio to Idoutarath. Sagittarius to Nizan. Capricorn to Tirai. Aquarius to Frielen. And Pisces to Barya.

The applicable times of each zodiacal sign for Terrans and the aliens were not actually congruent to each other, however. For the aliens, their Krealai zodiacal period ran generally from March 16 to April 15. Xanda from April 16 to May 16. Fysevo, which was their zodiacal sign with two Directors, one male and one female, from May 17 to June 16. Shoath from June 17 to July 17. Kyl from July 18 to August 16. Anar from August 17 to September 17. Voazas from September 18 to October 16. Idoutarath from October 17 to November 17. Nizan from November 18 to December 19. Tirai from December 20 to January 17. Frielen from January 18 to February 15. And Barya from February 16 to March 15.

Krealai was currently represented by a certain Director resembling a god of spring, and who was named Mebek. Xanda by a Director resembling a god of the passage of time, and who was named Luciteso. Fysevo by two Directors resembling either a god of craftspeople or a goddess of scholars, who were named Mephiotera and Yobubi, respectively. Shoath was represented at present on the Council of Directors by the aforementioned Gorehi, who was the currently ascendant Director now greatly resembling the aforementioned moon goddess. Kyl by Goggi, who resembled a god of sunlight. Anar by Salufo, who resembled a goddess of wealth. Voazas by Ozyahi, who resembled a goddess of fortune. Idoutarath by Mynemugu, who resembled a god of the hunt. Nizan by Lilido, who resembled a goddess of soldiers. Tirai by Cekopug, who resembled a god of prophecy. Frielen by Shuyiel, who represented a god of rivers. And Barya by Imehudo, who resembled a goddess of winter.

Eleven others besides them, Apollyon, and Lilith were now present in the meeting. Three of them had been former Directors on the Council of Directors before passing along their seats on it to three of the current Directors now present here. The three seats on it that had been once held by the former Directors were the female seat for Fysevo, the seat for Shoath, and the seat for Idoutarath. The seat that was now held by Yobubi on the Council had been held by a being resembling a goddess of civilization. Shoath's seat had been held by one resembling a moon god. And Idoutarath's seat had been held by one resembling a goddess of the forge. As for the other eight, they were each now subordinate to various Directors currently on the Council.

Mebek had as a subordinate someone resembling a goddess of rock. Luciteso had two main subordinates, and those were two different beings resembling either a fire goddess or a midnight goddess. Goggi's chief, if not only, subordinate was a sun goddess, supposedly. Lilido had a subordinate resembling a goddess of thunder. Cekopug a subordinate resembling a god of building constructions. Shuyiel had a subordinate resembling a god of travelers, for that matter. Gorehi had no current subordinates of her own, having not yet been on the Council for a long enough time to be able to have any, most likely. And as for Mephiotera, Yobubi, Salufo, Ozyahi, Mynemugu, and Imehudo, they all also had none at present, basically for the same exact reasons as Gorehi did at present.

Gorehi appeared to be a woman of about thirty or so Terran years of age. She was very tall, with a slightly athletic build for herself. Her hair was worn in a bird's-wing style, and it was sky blue with silver tints to it. Her eyes were roughly medium-sized, round, and generally light blue, with flecks of black, copper-bronze, silver, and gold that were periodically visible at certain times in her life, moderately set into her roughly oval-shaped face. Her skin was mostly cream-colored and had a few assorted birthmarks of sorts on it. She was reasonably well-known to often wear strange uniforms, but at least at the current moment, she was wearing a mostly light blue stola-like robe, which bore many moon-like designs in various colors and styles on it, draped semi-loosely on her person, along with a ring and several other pieces of jewelry, to show her currently ascendant position on the Council. A folio was now in her hands as she attended the meeting as well.

Nearest her now, somewhere on the aliens' chief overall home world, in a meeting hall of sorts, were Goggi and both Fysevo Directors, for that matter. Goggi currently appeared to be a generally humanoid man of about 70 Terran years in age, more or less. While Mephiotera and Yobubi both appeared to be roughly 17 or so such years old themselves. Gorehi, Goggi, Mephiotera, and Yobubi were all quite near each other in the approximate center of that meeting hall of sorts, even while Apollyon, Lilith, and everyone else now with them in it were in assorted other places all over it as they each then saw fit to be here and now.

Most of the Directors present were shrouded to at least some degree by darkness in the meeting hall of sorts, as were many of the other sentient beings also in it. But where Gorehi, Goggi, Mephiotera, and Yobubi were in it, it was lit up quite a bit more than the rest of the meeting hall of sorts was, due to the fact that they were either the most recent Directors to be ascendant, the current Ascendant, or the upcoming Ascendant at the present time. As such, they were generally required to be in the approximate middle of the room during a normal Council meeting, by long-standing Council mandate and tradition, except in potentially very rare cases indeed. That was most specifically the case for them due to their respective current statuses on the Council of Directors, as the most recent non-Ascendant Director or Directors, the current Ascendant Director or Directors, or the upcoming Director or Directors, as the case might be for each of them here and now.

Flanking Gorehi on one side were the two Fysevo Directors, and Goggi was on her other side. Mephiotera was furthest away from Gorehi of the three in the approximate meeting hall's center, while Goggi and Yobubi were closest to her in it.

Mephiotera was now wearing a laborer-type outfit that was mostly indigo in color. He was very short and had a stocky build. He appeared to be just about Yobubi's age, more or less, for they were actually fraternal twins to each other. And he had tanned skin, just like his younger twin sister. He was the second son of the former Fysevo female Director, and the younger brother of the culture god.

As for Yobubi, she looked considerably unlike her fellow Fysevo Director, but still enough like him to make it obvious enough to most who might periodically encounter them both in their lives that they were siblings to each other in them. While she wasn't very short and stocky like he was, for example, she did share a basic skin tone with him, just the same, at the very least. Yobubi was of about-average height with an amazonian build, more or less, and her yellow hair was straight and quite often worn in a helmet-like style. Her current attire largely resembled that of a typical college professor, more or less, and it frequently bore random stylized quill-like designs on it in various random places all over it, both on the outside and on the inside. In one hand, she held a scroll bearing text in several languages that were most definitely not of Terran origin, for that matter, even as she periodically glanced around the meeting room with her often-droopy gray eyes. She also wore a stylized gorilla's head-like pendant on a necklace around her neck, for that matter, here and now

As for Goggi, he appeared to be somewhere in his late sixties to early seventies, more or less, at the present time, at least. He was very tall with a wide-shouldered build, and had not only eight eyes, but also eight ears, in his own life, for he was actually of another humanoid sentient race besides the one that many of the aforementioned aliens actually belonged to in its territory elsewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy. His subordinate was his eldest daughter, in fact. But she still somehow resembled her mother, a member of a different humanoid race than her father, much more than she did him in her life, at least in terms of her usual outward appearance, if not in any other terms whatsoever. As well. At the current time, Goggi was wearing attire of some yet-unknown sort that appeared to be quite elegant indeed and actually made of pure radiance, somehow. He was now holding a map near one side of his bald head, even as his lemon-yellow eyes periodically found themselves darting from one being to another in the room that he and many others were now in with each other. It was a map that even had many well-known Japanese cities on it, at least, for certain reasons that would become sufficiently evident in time, perhaps, to many other sufficiently sentient beings of various kinds from anywhere at all in the known Universe. Goggi and many of his numerous subordinates had acquired that particular map some length of time before. And they had often helped any number of aliens in their very own societal, at least, quests for power and wealth, for instance, in order to perhaps make it possible for them to somehow eventually attempt the truly-permanent elimination of one Keitaro Urashima, at least, if not anyone else as well, for that matter here and now. No matter who they might then be, they all still eventually did just that if and whenever they possibly could do that well enough

Gorehi said, "It seems that my monsters were greatly helped by your subordinates, Luciteso and Lilido. For your subordinates surely caused a lot of damage to the hated location, if my spies in the area are sufficiently accurate with their reports about the battle that our forces just fought there."

"You're very welcome, Gorehi. Do you plan on hunting down the Keys while you are still Ascendant, then?" asked a middle-aged humanoid male with red hair, purple eyes, and black skin who was now wearing a sculptor's outfit of some sort and a necklace, while also holding a mandolin-like musical instrument of some sort.

"No, I don't think I'll be able to find them well enough, unfortunately, while I am still Ascendant here. My spies, however, were able to find out that several of the Keys left the hated location in order to go around their world for a time, for some yet-unknown reason in their early July after some sort of ceremony they all may have participated in with each other. My spies have not yet been able to track them down well enough, but I strongly suspect that they will eventually attempt to return to the hated location at some point in time. If so, then perhaps we might have another chance to eliminate them after they return from their round-the-world trip well enough. Hopefully, everyone, it will not be impossible to eliminate them before it's too late for us to change history sufficiently in our favor somehow, Luciteso."

"When do you think they will return, then, Gorehi?" asked the goddess of soldiers, Lilido, who appeared to be a masked and armored woman who was just about the same age as Gorehi, and who had six arms, along with tentacle-like appendages on her head and many black spines spread out all over her body. In one hand, she currently held a throwing knife of some sort, as well.

"According to my spies, it's hard to say. But also according to them, it is the home of many, if not most or all, of the Keys that we're seeking to eliminate in time from our known history. If that is true, then they will inevitably return to that place, for the obvious enough reasons. And if they do, then perhaps we might have at least one more chance to eliminate them from our known history before it's too late to do just that, if it's not already too late for us to do that well enough, I figure." Gorehi briefly looked at her folio for at least a few mostly silent moments as she then tried to figure out how best to proceed next with her current plans against the Urashimas and their various associates of any and all possible kinds that she currently knew of well enough from any number of her spies down on Earth, by the way.

"So are you just going to sit around and let your current time as Ascendant elapse without trying to find them, for example, Gorehi?" asked the fire goddess, eventually, as she then stood quite near her father Luciteso.

"No, of course not. But my spies can't be everywhere at once, you know. They can't go chasing after every possible tip that they might happen to overhear or detect, quite obviously enough. Listen, Karchagi, you might or might not be a future Director on this Council. But you are still too young and inexperienced in the ways of the Universe to know just what should be done in many cases, I'm quite sure. And you are also still much too wild for us all to be able to trust you completely about such matters, it seems to me. True, you and your twin sister Uglatu are not much younger than me. But I have still actually seen much more than either of you have actually seen of the Universe so far in our respective lives. So I happen to think that I have at least a little bit more knowledge about how things should perhaps proceed for us at the current time."

"Oh, we'll just see exactly how much more you know than either me or Karchagi in time, I'm sure. Yes, our father Luciteso may have kept us under very close watch for quite some time so far in our lives, but we both still know that he still realizes that eventually, he will have to let us work without him telling us what to do at all, Ascendant," said Karchagi's twin, the goddess of midnight, in very short order.

"Yes, but that time is not yet, Uglatu," said Gorehi to the goddess of midnight, who somehow seemed to actually have skin which was made of sheer darkness and which could potentially envelop any kind of being in it, whether sentient or not. Uglatu also had eight pairs of wings, most of which were currently hidden from the view of most of her current companions where everyone now was. And her current outfit perhaps greatly resembled that of some yet-unknown alien kind of pagan druid. Even while she also was carrying a pistol crossbow and casting no shadow near herself, for that matter.

"Then you expect Goggi, no doubt to eliminate them, if at all possible, right?" asked Lilido.

"No, I think this will take more than one additional Terran calendar year for us to find and hopefully eliminate the Keys from our known history, if it's still possible for us to actually do that well enough somehow in time. My spies tell me that the Key of Keys is expected to die no later than about two such years due to a condition that we caused nearly one of their years ago, if I remember things well enough here. As may any number of other people, but that is not yet confirmed well enough by my spies, it seems. If he dies without any offspring of any possible kind whatsoever, then our problem will be solved, I'm quite sure. Or at least a quite considerable part of it, anyway, if not all of it."

Yobubi asked, "What if you're wrong? We can't afford to be wrong, if what Apollyon and Lilith have already told us of their world and its inhabitants is sufficiently accurate, Gorehi, if I'm not too mistaken here, of course."

"Then we ultimately will not be able to change our known history sufficiently in our favor, I suspect, Yobubi. It wouldn't be the first time that would have happened for our societies in this Universe, you know."

"Yes, I suppose that's true. We couldn't ultimately prevent the invasion of the Kutari against any number of our countless worlds, for example, a few millennia before our home time period in the Universe's known history. And they are still very much present at the current time on most, if not all, of them, even in our very own time period in the Gregorian calendar year Terrans might potentially reckon as AD 2493, if I'm not too mistaken about such things here and now, Gorehi."

"True, we have traveled roughly 500 or so Terran calendar years, more or less, into our own mutual pasts for the Universe's known history, as of our own home time period. But, hopefully, we have gone far enough back that we might somehow be able to sufficiently eliminate any and all of the currently-required Keys from our known history, and actually change history sufficiently in our favor. We must definitely somehow actually remove their quite rampant infestation from our worlds as best as we can, as quickly as we can, if and whenever possible, no doubt. But overly rash actions will most certainly not help our mutual cause sufficiently in our present quest to somehow actually do that quite well enough, I'm quite sure, Yobubi. We must seriously consider any and all potential actions we may make against them in this time period, just as we did when we were planning our most recent attacks against any number of this world's inhabitants, whether sentient or not, if and whenever possible, just the same."

Goggi said, "That might be a wise course of action, often, Gorehi. But we must also not be so hesitant to act at times when it might be very risky indeed or very foolish for us to periodically delay any number of hostile actions against the Keys or those who might associate with them, for that matter."

"That is true, Director Kyl, but we must also make sure that we don't potentially waste our resources on certain actions which may not be wise to undertake at certain times as well. You know as well as I that when one or more of us are not in periods of great activity, due to us periodically descending in strength and abilities in our respective lives, various resources are often somewhat hard to accumulate well enough for any number of us. Roughly six Terran months from now, I will be considerably dormant, at least for the most part, if not completely dormant, as will my strength and abilities be, along with those of my various subordinates of many different kinds. Just like Cekopug is, at least for the most part, right now."

The aforementioned Cekopug, the god of prophecy, was currently deep within the darkness along one wall of the meeting hall of sorts that everyone was now in here. But his face, at least, was still visible to most, if not all, of the other sentients then in that hall with him, just the same. At the current moment, he appeared mostly human, but his ears and certain other parts of him appeared at least somewhat tiger-like as well. For he would at least occasionally take at least partially, if not entirely, the form of a tiger-like being of some alien sort in his life, especially when he was at his very weakest in it. Like whenever he was in a period of quite considerable dormancy, if not total dormancy, just like he was now, in fact. His roughly 35-year-old face was completely humanoid at the moment, with essentially china-white skin and narrow blue eyes, for instance, and it was currently framed by neck-length gray hair, even as he currently wore a no-nonsense outfit incorporating eye designs on it. In his mostly humanoid-looking left hand, which, by the way, also now had tiger-like claws at the ends of his fingers and thumb on that hand of his, he currently held an orb that was perhaps about six or so inches in average diameter, more or less. The orb was somewhat cloudy-looking at the moment, reflecting his current circumstances of considerable dormancy, for that matter.

Cekopug said, from somewhere within the darkness, "The Keys are few, but will increase, if they are allowed to, their number quite considerably in the near future of this time period. We must destroy or capture the Keys before they allow any number of other solar systems in this Galaxy to have Keys of a sort as well. If we do not, then all will not be as it should be."

"And my plans to rule the Universe with my wife and minions will not be accomplished, without any doubt at all, for that matter," said Apollyon, from somewhere else in it entirely. "And that is certainly something I will not tolerate, if I can possibly avoid it at all. I should be ruling the Universe now and forever, and not the One who made me."

"Who made you, Apollyon?" asked Ozyahi.

"The One who made me is Yahweh, AKA God the Father, the Creator, and any number of other names and/or titles. Unfortunately, I now seem to have very little, if any, current access to His Home in Heaven, so it is currently impossible for me to do just that here and now, Ozyahi."

"I see. And if we succeed in our attempts to eliminate the Keys, then how does that help you?" asked Ozyahi, in a somewhat curious manner, in fact.

"It perhaps will at least allow me to control at least one solar system, if not more than one, for at least a while, if not forever, Ozyahi. Then I could perhaps use that system or those systems as places to strike against other systems periodically in my eternal quest to rule the Universe, for that matter."

"And perhaps take them over as well, right?" asked Salufo.

"That is correct, Salufo. I fully intend to control as much of the Universe as I can before Yahweh and I have our final showdowns with each other, of course. And I most certainly will not ever give up against Him and any number of His countless followers if I can somehow possibly ever avoid it, by the way, quite obviously enough, as sure as I am known by any number of names all over the entire Universe."

"And what of your wife, Lilith?" asked Luciteso.

"She will then rule beside me, if my eternal quest to rule the entire Universe is ever accomplished somehow well enough, Luciteso. She will be my mate for eternity, and we will show those who survive the fall of Heaven the proper ways for them and all others under our control how they should act in our Universe. There are those who say, however, that we will never rule the Universe, but that Yahweh and His countless followers eventually will. We shall see just who rules it eventually, no doubt."

"Yes, and if we are successful in our eternal quest to overthrow Heaven well enough, it will be my great pleasure to kill Adam, Eve, Abel, and Seth for their long-lasting belief in the One who made each of them as well, for instance, everyone. Adam for spurning me, Eve for stealing him from me, Abel for making Cain a killer without cause, and Seth for producing offspring that eventually led to Yeshua's birth on Earth so long ago. And many others in history for following paths that disrespected my husband and his followers greatly, for that matter," said Lilith, who now wore basically all black, if and wherever possible, as she now stepped out a bit from the general darkness in the meeting hall of sorts.

The meeting of sorts between Apollyon, Lilith, Gorehi, and everyone else now in the meeting hall of sorts somewhere quite far from Earth in the Milky Way Galaxy continued on for at least another few hours, perhaps, if not even longer than that, before it eventually ended sufficiently well, somehow, for all concerned attendees of it. Once it was finally over well enough, then, Apollyon and Lilith both returned to their own home dominions back in Earth's own solar system, after actually having been brought to a totally different one somewhere else entirely in the Milky Way Galaxy for the now-ended meeting with the aliens' Council of Directors, in fact.

The meeting eventually ended with the Directors deciding to postpone any major future attacks anywhere else in Japan, at least, until the inevitable return of the Keys to Japan after their round-the-world trip, whenever that might actually be the case for them all. But they didn't totally rule out the possibility of making any minor attacks in the intervening time, however. So they might perhaps still attack anywhere at all in Japan, at least. But not necessarily as strongly as they had just done in the Hinata City local area of it, just the same. At least not for a while, anyway, for the all the obvious reasons here and now.

With that sort of thing quite sufficiently resolved, then, they all then began working on coming up with numerous ideas about how to perhaps gain much more information, for instance, about the nine current Keys and those who were sufficiently close to all of them now in their respective mortal lives, at the very least. If not also about any number of other things and/or people anywhere at all in the Sol solar system of the Milky Way Galaxy as well, in fact. And perhaps also working on creating even more monsters much, if not entirely, like the ones that the Hinatans and their various associates may or may not have actually fought against at least once or twice before already, for instance, if not any other monsters as well, for that matter. This would continue, then, perhaps, for at least several days, if not weeks or months, most likely.

* * *

Several days later, it was sometime in the late afternoon of Wednesday, July 14, 1993, Rome time, when the travelers and those they'd left behind in Japan were finally able to converse well enough with each other at the same time for a long enough time. It had taken at least a little while for those that the nine travelers had left behind in Japan to find them well enough, somehow, in fact. But, eventually, they still managed to do it, just the same. When they regained two-way simultaneous contact with each other, then, Haruka Urashima soon said, "They're gone, Keitaro."

Keitaro asked, "What's gone, Haruka?"

"Both the Dorm and the Annex are gone. So are many of the other things on the Apartments' grounds, for that matter."

"What happened?"

"Massive alien attack, Keitaro. Virtually everything, if not everything, was either totally destroyed or quite heavily damaged, if it wasn't totally destroyed."

"Please tell me you're pulling my leg, Haruka."

"Sorry, no can do, Keitaro. I'm serious. Dead serious. The Apartments burnt to the ground. And very little, if anything, then there survived the attack well enough somehow, it seems."

Just then, Shinobu walked into the hotel suite Keitaro and all eight of his fellow travelers were then staying in at the current time. She soon noticed he was on the phone in it, and soon asked, "Who are you talking to, Keitaro?"

Keitaro then asked Haruka to please hold on for a few moments, and quietly said, "Shinobu, I'm talking to Haruka. Tell the others to come to the main room, please, and wait there until I join you all there after I finish talking to Haruka. Tell them I will have some very important news to share with them all when I do."

"Good or bad?" asked Shinobu.

"You'll all find out quite well enough when I tell you all at the same time. When you tell them all to meet me there, do not let your face seem to suggest good news or bad news, either, Shinobu. I will still say, though, to you and only you, so far, that what I'll then have to say to you all is extremely important and potentially life-changing to a very significant degree, just the same, to be totally honest with you here and now. Say absolutely nothing to anyone else here except that I need them all to congregate as quickly as possible in the main room for a very important family meeting indeed."

"And I am not to tell them yet at all just how important and how life-changing that the news you'll be sharing then with all of us might be, I take it?"

"That is quite correct, Shinobu. Just give them only the directions that I've just given you here as needed, please. Are you clear enough on those directions from me here and now, then?"

"Quite clear, in fact, Keitaro."

"Good, Shinobu. I will join you all just as soon as I can, then, of course." When she nodded in acknowledgement of that, he then said, "Thank you, Shinobu," just before she let him get back to his current conversation with Haruka.

Several minutes later, then, Keitaro finally joined the others well enough in the main room of their hotel suite. And when he did, he soon made quite sure indeed that they were all quite quietly seated in it, for that matter. Several of them thought briefly about asking why he didn't want them to speak yet, but a very stern look from him soon put such a notion out of each of their heads for at least a little while, if not longer.

He soon said, "I have some good news and some bad new. Mostly bad news, however." His face was currently unemotional-looking on its surface, at least for the most part, if not entirely. But he also was still obviously trying to remain as calm as he possibly could right now for all present females' benefits, at least. His wives looked at him for a few moments in relative silence, then at each other, before Shinobu suddenly rose from her seat and led him to a couch near him now where they all now were. Then she stood behind that couch, once he was sitting sufficiently to her satisfaction on it, in fact.

She soon said, "Tell us the bad news first, Keitaro," as she gently began to massage his shoulders with her lovely hands without him asking her to do that at all here and now in the first place. "Then the good, if you wish."

"Very well, Shinobu, I shall do as you wish here, then. It's all gone, it seems, everyone."

"Everything, Keitaro?" asked Mutsumi.

"Yes, Mutsumi, everything, if what Haruka told me is sufficiently accurate."

"Even my lab?" asked Kaolla.

"Yes, even your lab. Most, if not all, of the equipment and other materials in it were removed sufficiently well beforehand by our Juubanite friends and our mutual associates, though, Kaolla."

"My sword and suit of armor, for instance?" asked Motoko.

"Safe, it seems, Motoko."

"The hot springs?" asked Koushoku.

"Gone."

"Annex?"

"Gone."

"My kitchen?" asked Shinobu, quite obviously enough.

"Gone."

"Fatalities?" asked Chandra and Surya, together.

"At least a dozen innocent construction workers, if not more, it seems. All corpses were recovered, if what Haruka told me is sufficiently accurate as well here and now."

"What's the good news, then?" asked Shinobu, as she continued massaging his shoulders.

"For one thing, the aliens' attack on us was largely only done in and around the area of Hinata City, and especially well-focused on the grounds of the Apartments, instead of being in more than one part of Japan. For a second thing, all our associates, plus many others from Hinata's local area, were actually evacuated from it well enough somehow by any number of our mutual associates, at least. And, third, they were not able to find and/or kill us in that attack, simply because we weren't even there then, of course."

"So what does Haruka suggest we do, then, Keitaro?" asked Chandra, while also glancing one at a time towards each of her fellow wives.

"She wants us to continue our current trip as originally planned, at least until further notice, and maintain silence between our group and Japan at least until we leave Israel later on some length of time from now, if not longer. She suspects very strongly indeed, somehow, that our future enemies are seriously trying to find us, so she feels that it would be best for us all if we all maintained communications silence for at least another week or so, Chandra."

Chandra considered that for a few moments, at least, in relative silence, before saying, "And they may want to eliminate you most of all among each of us, I take it, Keitaro."

"Yes, it very much seems so, according to Haruka. Meaning our Haruka, of course, Chandra," said Keitaro, as Shinobu then had Surya hand her some moisturizing skin lotion and oil that she might perhaps work into Keitaro's skin at least a little bit, if not a lot.

With that done, Shinobu soon asked Keitaro to remove his current shirt and lie prone on the couch he was now on here. He complied almost immediately, of course. After which, she then had Surya and Mitsune retrieve a few potentially useful things from the group's assorted belongings, in fact. Most specifically, a combination radio/compact disc player/tape player/clock, several tapes with assorted musical mixes, a pair of sunglasses, and a blindfold. Once they were retrieved, Shinobu donned the sunglasses, put the blindfold on Keitaro, selected some music to play on the player, and had Motoko start it, after Shinobu then had arranged herself in the presently most advantageous position for her to be able to massage their shared husband's back well enough here and now.

As the music just selected began to play, then, Shinobu began to massage Keitaro's back at least a little bit, if not a lot, here and now. She soon commented, "You currently seem as tight as a twisted and knotted clothesline, Keitaro. I wonder why, in fact."

"I got jumped last night by a certain samurai when we got here, for one thing, Shinobu-chan. Then she woke me up very early indeed while you all were still sleeping, and dragged me to the Colosseum for a very secret rendezvous, both in terms of private martial arts training and in at least one other way that I'm sure you all might be able to guess well enough by now. You all were still asleep here when we finally got back here to our group's suite well enough, in fact."

"Oh, my," said Mutsumi. "Well, then, was it exciting for you both to go secretly there all by yourselves without us, then, Keitaro?"

"You don't know the half of it. In fact, on our way back from the Colosseum, we encountered several people who looked quite strangely indeed like many different historical leaders, for some yet-unknown reason, everyone."

"Like who, for instance?" asked Koushoku.

"Cleopatra, believe it or not, Koushoku. However, most, if not all, of them generally seemed to be only in their teens or twenties, at most, if I'm not too mistaken here and now about them all."

"You seem to have taken several hits from at least one bladed weapon of some sort, Keitaro," said Shinobu, as she detected a fairly good-sized knot near his left hip.

"Yes, Motoko caught me with the blade, but not the cutting edge, of some bladed weapon she found not long after we secretly snuck into the Colosseum together, it seems, Shinobu. She smacked me good while trying to avoid several spikes on a mace-like weapon I was then wielding against her in a very private training session. I found that weapon just like she'd found the bladed weapon I just mentioned here, in fact. We battled for a while, as you can probably guess, and ultimately called it a draw, when we finally called an end to that particular battle between us both. We then placed the weapons we each found in the Colosseum in our respective subspace pockets after our battle with each other there. Then she jumped me again, right on the floor of the Colosseum, and you can perhaps gather what happened next, before we both came back here with each other, and the cops hot on our tails so to speak. Of course, we got away from them, seeing as we're both obviously here now. Although they are now looking all over Rome's local area for Hinata Knight and Sailor Ozom, by the way, believe it or not."

"Did you really do THAT there, Motoko?" asked Kaolla.

"Yes, Kaolla, I really did. And, no, I will NOT tell you all about it, either! Especially because you didn't tell me all about what it was like for you to actually be with him just like you were with him in Machu Picchu, Cuzco, and/or Lima earlier, at least, in fact!" exclaimed Motoko.

"Huh?" asked Mitsune.

"This Molmolian Princess of ours here evidently jumped him several times while Shinobu, Mutsumi, and she were all still with him in Peru or Spain, at least, and while we were all still in Brazil or England, at least, with each other, Mitsune. And not just once a day, but more like several times a day, if and whenever possible, according to Mutsumi and Shinobu."

"That's right, Mitsune. Kei-Baby and I were quite busy then, I must say."

"Kaolla, that's enough talk for now, at least, please!"

"Just telling the truth, Kei-Baby! You were Grade Mega-Awesome, I think, when you were with me then, and I'm not too embarrassed to say just that, in fact!"

"You might not be, but I certainly am!" exclaimed Keitaro.

"Urashima, there is no dishonor in being embarrassed about such things, as I have come to understand after much association with you in the past. It has been very hard-learned on my part, due to my previous great opposition in many cases to even the mere presence of most males near me and those close to me. You have shown us all that not all men and boys want just one thing, and one thing only, from those like us. Even when many, if not most, of us possibly would perhaps prefer to believe that about those of your particular branch of Universal humanity. Myself, at least at first, for example, before we all really got to know you well enough in our respective lives."

"But you weren't the one who sent me flying most of all of you, Motoko."

"No, that was our Naru, I believe. Wasn't it, Shinobu?" asked Motoko.

"Yes, as far as I can recall, Naru sent him flying to goodness-knows wherever else in the world, if not the Universe, at least a little bit more, if not a lot more, than you, at least, ever did, when you didn't actually team up with each other or with anyone else, Motoko," said Shinobu, as she then motioned to Keitaro to continue sharing more of the information that Haruka had given him during their earlier conversation on the phone in their hotel suite, just as soon as he wanted to. Keitaro chose to remain silent here, though, for at least a little while longer, just the same.

"That's because I often thought he was trying to take advantage of us, and especially you, Shinobu," said Koushoku. "I was only trying to protect the others around me of our gender from certain actions that I thought he was intentionally doing around us all, and even myself, as you were still young and innocent, you know."

"That wasn't a good excuse then, and it still isn't, Naru."

"No, I don't suppose so, Shinobu. I see that now, but I didn't see that then," admitted Naru.

"You will not do so again needlessly with another male, if I can help it, without being punished as needed, Naru, for sure." Shinobu shot Naru a very determined and very piercing look that left no doubt about how she felt about such inhumane treatment against innocent males who might find themselves unwillingly in such situations as Keitaro had often found himself in for the past few years.

"Understood. You are definitely a force to be reckoned with whenever you're angry, Shinobu," said Naru, after fully taking in the obvious promise inherent in the words that Shinobu had just said here.

Shinobu focused the same look on Motoko, who bowed her head under that very piercing and very determined look of Shinobu's here, as if she had no real choice in the matter. For her guilt about such things was ironclad as well, due to her quite frequent attempts to punish Keitaro for certain very likely involuntary actions of his very own which he hadn't intended to ever take place in his life or in the lives of his tenants. Motoko had often punished the innocent Keitaro for those actions without cause quite severely indeed, but she never really did drive Keitaro away from the Hinata Apartments, no matter how long and how often she tried to do just that, once and for all. Now, with his life in grave danger, and his very future in such danger, she had resolved to do all she possibly could to atone for all the unjust treatment that she had actually inflicted on him ever since his first arrival at the Hinata Apartments. Although she still knew quite well indeed that it would probably take many years to fully atone for all that treatment well enough, most likely, she was, by her own sense of honor, still duty-bound to try, as far as she was then concerned, in her own life.

Then Shinobu focused a similar, yet slightly less stern, look at Mitsune, and said, "You will not needlessly try to swindle any males for any reason whatsoever any longer, Mitsune, just like you once did with Keitaro. IF you ever dare to do so again, you will regret it in some way, though I haven't yet figured out just how. I can't actually threaten to take away your booze any more, of course, you know. But I'll still actually find a way somehow, no doubt, if I catch you doing so needlessly, I'm quite sure." Mitsune soon nodded, but showed no other needless response whatsoever, to what Shinobu had just said to her here, in fact.

Then she looked directly at Kaolla for a few moments, at least, and shot her a similar, yet even less stern, look than she had just shot towards Kaolla. She then said, "Kaolla, in the privacy of our mutual rooms or of our home, you may talk, of course, within reasonable limits, about certain personal activities, for instance. But in public, I will not allow you to do just that like you have just done here with us without some sort of suitable enough penalty, for sure. The whole world does not need to know about such things, if it can possibly ever be avoided at all, of course. Sure, you may come from a society that is quite free and liberal about certain things, even things like those things. But we are Japanese, at least for the most part, I believe. And as such, we generally prefer to keep certain very personal things under our shells, so to speak, around many other people in this very own world of ours. We generally are much like turtles, I suppose, in that we each hide ourselves inside certain shells of at least one sort quite often, Kaolla."

"Yes, turtles often hide in shells when they feel threatened, I suppose, Shinobu. But even turtles need to come out of their shells often, you know."

"That is true, Kaolla, but they should not necessarily be forced out of them if they don't absolutely have to be, just the same. They should generally be given the choice of whether or not to do so, if and whenever possible," said Shinobu, as she finally loosened the knot near Keitaro's left hip sufficiently well here and now.

Mutsumi said, "That is true, Kaolla. You can't necessarily force a turtle out of its shell easily enough if it doesn't want to come out of it. They quite often will fight to stay within their shells if you don't approach them the right way or ways, in fact. You have to give them at least one good enough reason, if not more than one, to get them out of their shells. A person like me, for instance, with an often-sunny, yet perhaps ditzy, personality often has much more success in getting turtles out of their shells at least to some degree, if not totally, than someone like Motoko, for instance. Turtles and Motoko probably don't often get along well if they haven't been exposed long enough to each other, it seems to me. While Motoko here is to some degree, at least, still afraid of turtles, her acceptance of them has considerably increased since the first time she encountered them after Keitaro's arrival at the Apartments, no doubt. Is that not right, Motoko?"

"That is correct, Mutsumi. While I once thoroughly despised turtles quite significantly, I have come to learn in the intervening time that not all turtles are bad ones to be near or around. However, I still don't like them very much, generally, and I don't think that I ever will. Yet, I have become familiar, if you will, with at least one such turtle, of course, since that time. Most specifically Tama-kun, along with his mate and his progeny. I have come to regard him and his family as part of our own. But that still does not mean that I have totally gotten over my fear of turtles, or that I ever will, just the same. I may always have this fear of them, and it may periodically manifest very strongly indeed, or it may not, as even more time passes for each of us in our own mortal lives."

Surya said, "I'm sure that your friends realize this quite well, Motoko. I myself do not like certain animals in my own life. For instance, I'm not really a fan of bears or serpents. They often seem somewhat scary to me, believe it or not. When I was young, and camping in the woods some place with my family, I once wandered off somewhere all alone, and found myself in a place with a lot of bears and serpents in it. I was surrounded by them, and I was so scared that they would come after me, that I began to wonder if I'd ever see my family again. However, a lion, if you will, suddenly appeared and drove away those bears and serpents who I was scared of quite easily. This lion actually guarded me, and somehow actually protected me from those bears and serpents sufficiently well, but not without injury to themselves, of course. Once they were driven away, I tended to the lion's injuries and asked, 'Why did you protect me, dear lion?' The lion strangely said, 'Because you are My sister, Surya, and I will protect those who My Father deems I should protect. You are not officially in Our family yet, but you will certainly become one someday, no doubt, when you are older.' I didn't understand what He meant until I had barely entered my teens, and had finally accepted Him as my Lord and Saviour. Chandra became His not long after, during a gathering of our respective families one summer in the Kyoto area. The lion I saw who defended me from those serpents and bears was Jesus Christ, in fact, everyone. It took me several years to finally realize that well enough, by the way, but once I did, I eventually found a peace that passes all human understanding, in its greatest extent."

"And I suppose Chandra knows this peace as well, even after all that has obviously happened in your respective lives?" asked Naru.

"Yes, I know this particular peace as well in my own mortal life, in fact, Naru. Although it is not always very easy at all to tap into it when any number of things may go periodically quite wrong for us in our lives, Christians and Jews, for instance, periodically do, I'm sure, just the same. And what's more, it NEVER will run dry, no matter how many people might periodically tap into that spiritual wellspring of such peace, and no matter how much they might periodically tap from it, believe it or not. The life of a Christian and/or a Jew is often quite difficult, due to the fact that our quite similar belief systems follow the One True God of the Universe, and due to the fact that God is always opposed by one of His creations and their minions and followers at the present time in our Universe. Those sentient beings who have not yet seen the Light well enough, and followed it well enough as needed, are still in quite complete darkness spiritually, everyone. And as long as they each still are in their respective existences, if they won't always be, they each will most certainly never be somehow able to tap directly into the spiritual wellspring that I just told you all about easily enough, much less at all, for sure," said Chandra.

"Who do the Jews worship, then? And Christians?" asked Shinobu.

"The Jews generally worship God, as do we. They worship the Father, mainly, when they worship. While we worship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, if I'm not too mistaken here, Shinobu. Of course, there are many who claim to be Jews and/or Christians who aren't truly Jews or Christians, because they have been led astray by false teachers, prophets, and/or belief systems, for example, I'm quite sure. Satan often tries to steal and destroy those who he can of the Light, if and whenever he thinks he can do so well enough. Many times, he is successful because people often sin and refuse to repent from their sins, for whatever possible reason or reasons, I'm sure. Many other times, however, he is not, and he goes away empty-handed back to wherever he came from," said Chandra.

"Is there hope for those who actually do follow your God, then?" asked Naru.

"Yes, if you truly believe in Jesus, and are bound and determined to serve Him for life, there is always hope for those who believe in Him, no matter who they might be. But each person must voluntarily choose to accept Him as Lord and Saviour in their lives, or they are essentially robotic slaves, if you will, to God, I believe, if they make that commitment without freely choosing to do so. God does not want robotic acceptance of His Son under forced coercion, no doubt. Every single sentient must ultimately choose freely whether or not to accept His Son into their lives and/or existences, without the fear of potential or actual coercion."

"Then what do you think of the Crusades, for example, you two?" asked Shinobu.

"Needless killing sprees, more or less, of those who might have chosen of their own free wills whether or not to accept Christ as their mutual Saviour, had they been allowed to do so without any needless interference whatsoever in such matters, no matter who they actually were in their lives, Shinobu," said Surya. "Conversions at the threat of bodily harm to those being converted or those close enough to those being converted are often not true conversions, we, at least, feel, in fact. True belief in someone or something can never be forced on anyone, if it is to remain as such for all time, we, at least, both believe. Yes, many may indeed choose whether or not to accept Christ in any number of very dangerous, if not mortally dangerous, situations, of course. If they are not forced to do so, then Chandra and I, at least, think that such conversions are completely voluntary, or at least mostly so, anyway. We could be quite wrong about that, you know. But I really don't think so, to tell you all the truth here and now, for sure."

"So what about those who make their eternal choices about who to entrust their eternal souls with on any possible battlefield, if they haven't already done so in their respective mortal lives, then?" asked Keitaro of his two most unfamiliar wives at present. Even as Shinobu suddenly had him remove his current jeans so she'd have much better access to his various leg muscles here and now while she still continued to massage him at some quite considerable length, for that matter, by the way.

"Yes, even then, people can still be saved spiritually, perhaps, while their mortal bodies are then in the process of being killed somehow by others, whether sentient or not. As long as a person has breath, their heart beats, and/or their brain is sufficiently active, there very well remains the chance that they might perhaps be saved eternally, I believe," said Chandra.

"So battlefield conversions can also perhaps be true conversions, then, Chandra?" asked Mitsune.

"Yes, in many cases, they can be, Mitsune. It, however, is often much wiser for people to make such a choice in their lives as early in them as they possibly can, if and whenever they sufficiently realize all the potential ramifications of such an eternal choice on their lives and on the lives of those sufficiently close to them in theirs. That is if they actually are able to do just that sufficiently well in them, somehow, of course. For a day is never guaranteed to anyone until it comes. Every single day that anyone ever lives could perhaps be the very last day of their mortal lives. As it stands now, countless souls are being lost to the darkness as they pass into eternity. Others are not being lost as well, but are rising to the Light, as they too pass into eternity. At the moment, there is a sense of darkness hanging around most of us now in this particular room. The only two of us who it is not now hanging around here are Surya and myself, for we are of the Master Light of the Universe, in fact. The rest of you are now being threatened by the Lord of Darkness and his forces, at least, if not also other evil forces and/or beings, for sure. Your hearts have not yet come into the Light, so darkness is now hanging around you all if and whenever it possibly can. If you do not claim the Light for yourselves while you still can, you most likely never will somehow be able to. And then, you each will most likely either be spending eternity burned to ashes or in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone with no hope of ever escaping it, no matter how much you might each ever wish otherwise."

"What if we do, then, Chandra?" asked Motoko, in very short order, as she flipped the tape over that had just been playing as needed and desired in its player.

"Then you will be spared from such potential fates of an eternal nature without any possible doubt at all. You will know joy unspeakable, for instance, among any number of things."

"Will there be marriage in Heaven, and all that may come with it, then?" asked Shinobu.

"Not like you might each think of it, Shinobu. Or at least not for the most part, if not entirely, anyway. For those who have already received their spiritual bodies, they will have no need of marriage, I believe. But those who live through the Great Tribulation, who are saved, and who are still in their mortal bodies may very well be able to actually marry and produce offspring during the Millennial Kingdom periodically. But even then, there will be those who will rise, from the multitudes then present in that quite-blessed Kingdom, to eventually make a final challenge to God's authority to rule the entire Universe for all eternity. Satan will lead one final challenge against the One who made him and all his followers, but will fail abysmally. When he does, he and his followers' fates will be eternally sealed, if they haven't already been by then, and they will be forever lost to those fates and to their final destination, wherever it might then be. Neither Surya nor I, for example, ever want any of you to be eternally lost without hope of rescue or escape, in fact. But we can't force any or all of you to accept our Lord as your Saviour in each of your lives. You must each choose Him by yourselves, or it's no good. But know this, everyone. If you don't choose Him while you each still live, you will have chosen the path of eternal darkness, if I'm not too mistaken here and now. And such a choice will be completely irreversible for all eternity, no matter how much you each might eventually wish otherwise," said Chandra.

"Completely irreversible, with no possible fall-back plan whatsoever, Chandra?" asked Kaolla.

"Yes, completely so. No matter whatever else that each of you might have ever done in your respective mortal lives before your respective possible deaths, if you wouldn't have chosen Him in time, you most likely would be lost forever. Nobody else would be able to rescue you from where you'd end up without Him in your lives, and you would never be able to escape from there, either, for that matter, everyone. Once you each die, if you ever do, and are permanently locked into either Heaven or the Lake of Fire and Brimstone as an eternal final destination, there is no possible changing of your final destinations for all eternity. Those are going to most likely be the only two possible final destinations that will be available for every single sentient being in the entire Universe, by the way, if I'm not too mistaken here at all, Kaolla."

"So it could very well turn out that we may possibly be separated from any or all of our friends, relatives, and/or associates, for example, for all eternity, no matter who they are, Chandra," asked Naru.

"Yes, that is correct. For instance, let us say, hypothetically, that Shinobu chooses Christ and Keitaro does not, while they each still live. In that case, then, Shinobu would be saved, if I'm not mistaken, but Keitaro would not be, for reasons I've already stated, as has Surya, here by now. And therefore, neither Keitaro nor Shinobu would ever be able to see each other again somehow for all eternity yet to come, because they would be separated by a permanently-unbridgeable gap between Heaven and the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, it seems."

"So actual families could perhaps find themselves broken for all eternity, just because someone didn't choose Christ in time, or vice versa?" asked Mitsune.

"Yes, unfortunately so. In fact, many members of Surya and my family are still not saved, as far as we currently know well enough, it seems. If that's true, then there very well could be eternally-lost members for our very own families when eternity finally begins for us all in the next life. We are still trying to lead them to the Light, but the forces of darkness have so far kept us from doing so well enough, unfortunately, Mitsune. We really do want them all to be saved for all eternity as well, of course, but we can't actually force them all to permanently choose our Lord as their own Saviour, you know."

"Because your God gave them all free will, no doubt?" asked Mutsumi.

"Yes, that is right, Mutsumi. God did not make human beings to be His slaves in His Universe. He gave them the right to reject Him and His Son and the Holy Spirit if they really wanted to. Unfortunately, far too many souls have done so, and have been eternally lost, already, to the darkness, without any possibility of actual salvation of any kind whatsoever. No matter who they might be, in fact. People like Siddhartha Gautama, perhaps, to name just one, if I'm not too mistaken here at all."

"The Buddha is doomed for all eternity, perhaps?" asked Motoko.

"Yes, unfortunately, it seems he is, Motoko." said Chandra.

"And what if you're wrong, Chandra?"

"Then I'm wrong, Motoko, and I will accept any necessary penalty that I have to for being that, of course, if and when I might ever have to."

"But he lived before Christ, did he not?" asked Mitsune.

"True, but he never knew God or His ways, I'm sure, due to him not being a Jew in his life while he still lived in our world, Mitsune. Many of our overall family's members are still trapped in bondage to his teachings and/or to those of the Hindus, for example. Some to the Islamic deity Allah too, as well, if I'm not too mistaken here and now, come to think of it."

"And what of those of us who may follow certain tenets of Shinto, if we do, then?" asked Keitaro, quite bluntly indeed. "Are you saying that those of us who do might also be trapped in bondage somehow, by the way?"

"Because you asked me this so bluntly, I will say, straightforwardly, my husband, 'Anyone who follows Shintoism's tenets is also trapped in bondage to them and the teachings of the same, but most of all to the Lord of Darkness and his followers.' It may seem very harsh and very mean for we Christians to say that there is only one Man who can possibly save the Universe's inhabitants if they let Him, but it is still the complete truth if we're actually following the One True God of the Universe. That one Man is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and only Him among all who have ever walked this Earth."

"It seems rather creepy indeed just how He was supposedly conceived, Chandra," said Naru. "I mean, that sort of thing can't happen by normal means of reproduction, you know."

"That is true, Naru. Humans by themselves are definitely not able to produce offspring in the manner that Jesus was conceived in. God did not make humans that way, as a matter of course. When Adam and Eve sinned, the taint of sin was placed on humanity because of their free choices to disobey God and eat fruit from the forbidden tree. That taint of sin forces man to have to work for his living, and it forces woman to have to deal with the pains that come with labor, as a result. Because God still loved His creations so much even after they sinned in the Garden, though, He promised that redemption would come in the form of the woman's seed. Now we all know that it is men who provide the seed, so to speak, that allows new life to be conceived instead of women, under normal circumstances in this world of ours. However, since men were to be considered heads of families, if and whenever possible, a sinful nature was, I believe, to be inherited through the male line, not the female line. So the Redeemer could not be biologically the immediate descendant of a mortal man, or he would have inherited a sinful nature as well from his Earthly father, of course. Because that was true, His Father had to be Divinely perfect, so as to avoid His being born with a mortal's sinful nature, by logical extension. All sentient beings come from parents with opposing genders, whether biological and/or artificial, I'm quite sure, everyone," said Chandra.

"You're suggesting that supposedly divine beings may possibly also have genders as well, even if they may not be biological in nature as well, then, I take it, Chandra?" asked Naru.

"Yes, I am, Naru. Continuing, then with what I've been saying, I believe that the required male component that allowed Jesus to ultimately be conceived was provided by God Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit, who then united with the chosen virgin who would be His Son's mother, one young maiden by the name of Mary. Not inn the usual manner of humanity, but in a totally different manner entirely. Most specifically, He united with her by overshadowing her with His own Divine form in a spiritual nature, somehow. She provided the necessary mortal element with one of her eggs, no doubt, and conceived in her womb when God's portion merged with that of her own, while still actually remaining a virgin at least until after our Lord Jesus Christ's birth in Bethlehem, in fact."

"And what makes it impossible for virgins to have children now as well who would supposedly be just like Jesus, then, in this age of in-vitro fertilization, Chandra?" soon asked Motoko.

"Nothing is not now necessarily preventing the birth of offspring to virgins, Motoko, it seems to me, if I'm not too mistaken, based on certain normally common human biological/physiological characteristics, here and now. However, the Divinely-originated nature would still not be inherited from either such parent in any related resulting conception, gestation, and/or birth, in fact. Test-tube babies, for lack of a much better term here and now, would still eventually inherit their parents' sinful nature from birth, if not inherit it at conception."

"So even if Keitaro has children with others through artificial means instead of natural means, they too would inherit the sinful nature present for all of us?" asked Shinobu, eventually, as she finally had Keitaro put his jeans and shirt back on, feeling that she'd massaged his back and legs for a long enough time here and now.

"Yes, they too will inherit that kind of nature, even if at least one of their parents are virgins just like Mary was when she gave birth nearly 2,000 years ago to Jesus in Bethlehem," said Chandra.

"So you two are saying that unless people choose your God, they are perhaps doomed from birth to the Lake of Fire or Brimstone, you two?" asked Mitsune.

"At least from the age of accountability for each of them, which may be different for each of them, in their lives, if not from birth, we feel that if people do not choose the Light while they still can, if they know of it well enough, they may very well be doomed to darkness eternally when their mortal lives are finally over once and for all," answered Surya. "Yes, it may not seem fair to many, but that is the way things have been, are, and will be for at least as long as our Lord Jesus still remains in Heaven with His Father, if not even longer, we feel, Mitsune."

"Then what do you suppose He's doing up there, perhaps?" asked Kaolla, as she proceeded to down a few bananas that she'd just spotted elsewhere in their current hotel suite.

"Preparing a place for us, serving as Advocate for those who need one there, and many other things that are far, far, far, beyond current human comprehension, no doubt, Kaolla," said Surya.

"How is He able to do that, then?" asked Mutsumi.

"He's God the Son, that's how. Yes, I know that seems rather simplistic, at the very least, but He can do many things at once. In fact, He is not only ever-seeing, but also ever-knowing, ever-hearing, ever-present, and/or ever-powerful, at the very least, if nothing else as well, for that matter, Mutsumi. He already knows about Naru and Motoko and the rest of you who have taken unnecessary and unfair advantage of Keitaro in the past, and about your all-too-frequent treatment of him in the past, by the way. And He is quite willing to forgive you all for such actions, but first, you honestly have to each accept Him as your Lord and Saviour for such actions to be forgiven by Him and His Father and the Holy Spirit in Heaven, no doubt. If you do, then His Blood will cover those sins and make them whiter than snow, even if they are darker than crimson in your respective lives. If you are His, and confess your sins to Him, and repent from them, then they will be forgiven and forgotten eternally, for they would then be under His Blood, never to be remembered against you again. Your slates, so to speak, would then be wiped clean of them, for that matter."

"And what of Keitaro's sins, as I'm quite sure that he's committed any number of them himself, for instance?" asked Naru.

"If he accepts Jesus as his Lord and Saviour, and does what needs to be done, as it needs to be done, his sins too would be forgiven and forgotten. Like his possession of certain more adult magazines that I know he once had, somehow, before the recent attack against the Hinata Apartments' grounds, in fact." said Chandra.

"Yes, I had them, Chandra, before that attack. What of it, then?" asked Keitaro.

"I wouldn't own such things myself, but God gave each of us free will to live our lives as we each see fit. While such things have never been my cup of tea, so to speak, at least since I became a Christian, if not even longer than that, many people often read such magazines, I'm quite sure. Listen, I can't actually stop you from again purchasing certain adult material of various kinds, Keitaro. But I still would prefer very much indeed that simply because you are now my husband, that you not do so again in the future while you're still with us all. I mean, why look at that most likely faked stuff, in many cases, that might be present in such things, instead of looking at real women like each of us? I'm sure that we can be a whole lot more interesting than those fakers in those particular kinds of things, for that matter. While it is very unusual now in the modern day for one person to have so many spouses at the current time as you now do, I'm still certain that such marital arrangements actually take place in certain assorted places all over the known world, just the same, somehow," said Chandra.

"Whether it's with just one man and several women, or vice versa, or some other potentially possible marital configuration, no doubt, Chandra?" asked Keitaro.

"Yes, that's right. I don't know for sure just how prevalent they might be in this world of ours, of course, Keitaro, but I'm still reasonably certain that they actually still happen in it, just the same, in fact," answered Chandra.

"Then how about this? I put the just-raised matter up for a vote, then, between all of you. If at least half of you agree here, then I will no longer purchase such materials, nor permit them in our home, okay, everyone?" asked Keitaro, here and now.

"Are you sure you are willing to put that idea up to a vote for each of us, Keitaro?" asked Naru.

"Yes, if it will most likely ensure a lasting peace between you all, even if you may not necessarily be opposed to such material personally in your lives, then, by all means, I am quite willing to let you all choose whether or not such material is to be normally permitted in our rooms anywhere by choice, Koushoku."

"And what if we feel that such material should normally not be permissible in them, Keitaro?" asked Mitsune.

"Then so be it. And if you don't, then we'll act as needed, of course, Mitsune."

"I see, Keitaro," said Mitsune.

"All right, ladies, I will leave you all for at least a few moments so you each can vote as you wish on the proposed idea. Please let me know when you're done voting, then, okay?" asked Keitaro, just before he left the main room for at least a few minutes, then.

The eight wives then quietly conversed with each other for at least a little bit, if not a lot, before ultimately voting on the proposal one at a time, in fact, starting with Surya. Surya, of course, voted for a prohibition against such material, as did Chandra. Mitsune wavered for a while, due to her past, but ultimately voted for the ban. Then Naru voted likewise, followed by Motoko. Kaolla, sensing that others had already voted for the ban, and that it would probably be best for all concerned if she did so, even though she came from a society that wasn't necessarily opposed to such material, soon voted also for the proposed ban on such material for the group's future rooms, once they returned to Japan. Then Mutsumi, who wasn't necessarily opposed to such material, said, "It looks like the idea of this proposed ban will carry easily, everyone. Mitsune, I would have thought you would be opposed to the proposed ban."

"If I were still a drinker, my possible inclination to vote against the proposed ban would probably prevail, Mutsumi. But I have not had a drink in roughly a month, nor do I want any now. I'm through with getting mentally wasted by a potentially lethal addiction to alcohol. That life is over, for sure. Pornography is also such an addiction for people, if they are hooked by it well enough for a long enough time, I think, for that matter. We do not need such filth in our lives anymore, as far as I am concerned. Come to think of it, my completely sober mind seems to now recall at least a few people who voluntarily became addicted to such material and to prostitution, and who ultimately lost their lives because of such things. At least them, anyway, if not anyone else as well, in fact. I have seen too many go down such a road or such roads to want any of the rest of you or myself to do the same. So, yes, believe it or not, I AM voting for the proposed ban here."

"Your reasoning seems logical enough, Mitsune. I think I can understand where you're coming from well enough, then. I'm not necessarily opposed to such things, mind you, everyone, personally. But if you all are for the proposed ban on such material, then for the sake of familial peace, I suppose I must vote for that ban as well. And we probably can guess just how Shinobu's going to vote on this kind of thing, if I'm not too mistaken here, by the way," said Mutsumi.

"I think so too," said Kaolla, as she briefly glanced at Shinobu here who was now wearing a very straight face, so to speak. "That's based on our prior histories with both her and Keitaro, of course, everyone."

Shinobu said, "This time you are correct, Kaolla. I realize that Senpai still has a perfect right to do as he wishes in this world, within lawful reason, of course. But I have never really felt all that comfortable at all about such material, just the same. And I still am not, even though I now look like I'm about two or three years older than I actually am, due to the medicine that a few of us took earlier. Including me, quite obviously enough."

"So how are you likely going to vote here on this issue, then, Shinobu?" asked Surya.

"I vote for the ban," said Shinobu, eventually, after at least ten minutes of relatively silent private contemplation on her part here and now. "I believe, then, that makes the vote completely unanimous in favor of the proposed ban, everyone, does it not?"

"That it does, Shinobu. That it does," said Motoko.

"Then it is resolved. When we get all back to Japan, and to Hinata's local area, quite well enough, the ban will begin immediately, for sure. All banned items must be disposed of by the time we all finally return to the Apartments' grounds, without exception. Is that quite clear, everyone?" asked Shinobu.

"Quite clear indeed, Shinobu," said Naru, almost immediately, followed as needed by everyone else still in the room now with Shinobu and Naru, of course.

"Good. Motoko, because it is still your turn to be with Keitaro now, please retrieve him so that we can al then inform him of our mutual decision about such material well enough, if you please. After we all do so well enough, the rest of us will then leave you both alone with each other at least until it's nearly time for us all to retire for the rest of the night, of course."

Motoko complied immediately, and then the nine travelers mutually decided the kinds of material that normally would be banned and that would not be, in very short order indeed. Once that was then done sufficiently enough to everyone's own satisfaction, then, Shinobu led six of her fellow wives out of their suite, but not Motoko, so that they could all then explore more of Rome's local area with each other, and also give Motoko and Keitaro complete privacy again, quite naturally enough.

Before Shinobu left with six of her co-wives, she said, though, "We haven't yet finished our little discussion here about certain things well enough, Senpai."

"We'll finish it tonight when you get back, if at all possible, then, Shinobu."

"Very well, then, Senpai. Motoko, I leave him to you, then. Please see to his welfare as best as possible, of course."

"Understood, Shinobu. I'll do my best to keep him in one piece for all necessary sentient beings, of course, on my word of honor," said Motoko.

"I mean it, Motoko. No unnecessary rough stuff like you've often done in the past with him."

"Agreed, Shinobu. Now, if you all don't mind, I have someone to hunt down, it seems, here, for that matter."

"Very well, then, Motoko. But don't push me at all on this, if you can possibly avoid it at all. I STILL haven't totally forgotten how you've often treated him in the past, you know."

"Point taken, Shinobu. I shall not do so, then, on my word of honor as an Aoyama and as a martial artist of samurai-style training."

"Good. See that you do, then, Motoko," said Shinobu, as she then left with the other six wives of Keitaro besides her and Motoko. After she did so well enough, then, Motoko quickly secured as needed all possible entry and exit points for the travelers' hotel suite, and then went on a full-bore hunt for Keitaro within it, quite naturally enough. She hunted him relentlessly until she found him hiding somehow in a chandelier of some sort in the suite's bathing area. He resisted her attempts to remove him for some time until she decided to try a secret Aoyama family technique on him. And that technique soon had him losing his grip on certain parts of the chandelier and beginning to fall towards the good-sized bath under it. When that happened, Motoko swept into the bath and caught him quite easily indeed just before he hit the water there, in fact, behind a locked door.

Five minutes, at most, later, she was quite fully enjoying herself, and Keitaro wasn't too far himself from doing so either. They were not disturbed, then, anywhere at all in the suite until at least 9 pm, if not even longer than that. They made love with each other at least once or twice while everyone else was still away, and were quite satisfied with each other by the time everyone else got back to their suite well enough here and now, for that matter. When everyone else finally returned well enough to it, the fully-dressed spouses were sitting on the same couch Shinobu had earlier massaged Keitaro on, and watching an old Italian independent movie with Japanese and English subtitles on it where necessary and where appropriate, and fully enjoying themselves while watching it together.

After the movie ended a few minutes or so later, at most, the earlier conversation that had begun after Keitaro's chat with Haruka soon resumed. Keitaro soon said, in response to a question from Chandra, "It seems that most of the killed construction workers were either Buddhist, Shintoist, or Hindu, if what Haruka told me is accurate enough. She said that a few might possibly have been Taoist and/or Confucianist, as well. And that at least a few others may very well be followers of either Judaism, Christianity, or Mohammedanism, AKA Islam, also, for that matter."

"So how many were apparently killed, then, Keitaro?" asked Naru.

"Haruka's not sure, exactly, but she figures at least one or two dozen were, if not more, Naru."

"What about their funerals or memorial services, then?" asked Kaolla.

"We would have to respect each applicable family's wishes in that regard, if each victim hadn't already stated their own wishes in it, of course, Su-Chan," said Keitaro.

"So if burial was preferred instead of cremation, we'd have to let them be buried instead of being cremated, as a matter of course, Keitaro?" asked Kaolla, not yet seeing the advantages of burial instead of cremation in the current related situation well enough here and now.

"Yes, Kaolla. If they wanted or want burial, then, by all means, those people will be buried, if at all possible. Everyone will be dealt with as they each wanted or want to be, if at all possible, for sure. No matter who they were or are, they will be, just as sure as I am still myself, one Keitaro Urashima, Manager of the Hinata Apartments, in fact."

Everyone soon accepted that, and then Shinobu said, "I think we should have some sort of memorial wall or something to remember those who are killed because of the beings that we will be fighting against, if we haven't already fought against them, when we rebuild our home and its grounds."

"That is a wonderful idea, Shinobu," said Keitaro.

"Yes, I agree," said Mutsumi. "Although there could eventually come a time when the names of any or all of us could end up on that wall or something, you know, Keitaro."

"Obviously, Mutsumi, obviously. But I have every reason to believe, somehow, that at least as long as at least one of us somehow manages to survive long enough, all our names will not be on the wall at the same time. Now I may indeed die, but I am still quite certain that even if I do, and at least as long as at least one of you somehow survives, the grounds of the Hinata Apartments will still be well-taken care of. No matter how many times those grounds will have to be restored due to alien attacks, somehow," said Keitaro.

"If that's true, then, Keitaro, who do you think will be most likely of us to survive the longest here?" asked Kaolla.

"Well, if I were them, which obviously I'm not, I would perhaps go after their weakest links first, if I could, seeing as the easiest way to destroy something is often by damaging or eliminating their weakest components. In our case, if they didn't know any better, they would perhaps have thought that Shinobu, Mutsumi, or I was the weakest person among us all, I think. When they perhaps weren't able to easily locate Shinobu and/or Mutsumi the day that I, at least, was attacked, I suppose they targeted me, and left me with the condition that I, at least, now have, if I'm not too mistaken here, based on much consideration that I've done ever since that time, everyone."

"So you don't have any idea about which of us might?" asked Kaolla.

"Knowing Motoko and Naru now like I do, I would think that they might survive for a while, at least, due to sheer determination and strength, but everyone has a weak point, you know. And with them, they are still somewhat prone to violent rages, if I am not too mistaken about them, Kaolla. You yourself have quite fortunately survived this long, somehow, even when many of your inventions or modifications have periodically blown up in your face or in our faces, so to speak. Yet there could come a time that you do something with one of your machines that might actually lead to your death or to the death of any number of us on this side of the conflict against our enemies, of course. Now I hope that never happens, of course, but it very well could, just the same. Mitsune could perhaps be killed between now and whenever if she fails to look out for potential dangers at any time instead of choosing her actions and words more wisely than she has often done in the past. She may no longer drink, quite obviously enough, but if I'm not too mistaken here and now, the myriad physiological and psychological effects, whether known or unknown, of extreme over-consumption of alcohol often still take quite a while to dissipate, at least, if not totally disappear, for anyone who's ever been a habitual drinker like she has previously been in her very own mortal life. Mitsune is becoming even more clear-headed as even more time passes for her and the rest of us in our respective mortal lives, I think. But she still acts quite recklessly indeed at any number of various times instead of acting much more cautiously in certain situations that would perhaps warrant greatly-increased prudence, it seems. Chandra and Surya, I'm not yet familiar enough with them to say whether or not they might be among the last, if not the very last, of us to somehow survive well enough, everyone. However, with Shinobu and Mutsumi, I think I can say with reasonable accuracy, 'If they're not careful enough to eliminate them or otherwise knock them out of the conflict sufficiently well, somehow, the aliens will most certainly come to regret not doing so at all.' If I had to actually choose between any or all of you here, though, I would probably have to say that the very last four of you to somehow survive well enough in your lives here and now would perhaps be Surya, Chandra, Mutsumi, and/or Shinobu, in no particular order, if the aliens don't play their cards right, so to speak, sufficiently well. Sometimes those who somehow appear the very weakest in a particular group are actually the ones who are somehow the very strongest in that very same group overall. Such may very well be quite the case here with Shinobu and Mutsumi, by the way."

"And if they are, then what?" asked Naru.

"I feel that whichever of you who survives the longest of all among you will be quite worthy of taking care of things on our family's grounds, if they absolutely have to. Whether that's Shinobu, Mutsumi, Mitsune, Kaolla, Chandra, Surya, Motoko, or yourself, at least, if not anyone else as well, I would be quite willing to bet that our grounds would be in good hands for at least as long as one or more of you somehow survives well enough against them in the conflict, Naru. If it is indeed Motoko, it most certainly would be a way for her to fully justify my unquestioned belief in her even after many dishonorable actions of hers against me in the past."

"You would gladly not mind it if I were actually the last of us to survive, Keitaro, even if you weren't, and could see me as the last of us to survive well enough here, somehow?" asked Motoko.

"Never would I regret it, I'm sure, if I were somehow able to see it well enough, Motoko, even after all the bullying that you've done of me in the past. For I know your heart now. You were acting impulsively against me and others of my gender because you were not fully thinking things through well enough, and you feared that I and other males were out for just one thing. Many males are like that in this world of ours, no matter where they might come from, unfortunately, you know. And for that, I'm truly sorry, no doubt. You are still periodically prone to do so, but not as much as you each were when I first entered five or six of your own mortal lives just a few years ago, at the very most. I have always thought you quite beautiful, and have often wished for your strength of character, even when it has been often used against me like you have previously done in the past. I periodically wish I was often just as steady and just as unyielding as you have normally been in the past, in fact. But I'm not, quite naturally enough."

"You really think that I'm quite beautiful, Keitaro?" asked Motoko. "Even when I try to greatly hide my very own femininity quite often?"

"Yes, each one of you are quite beautiful indeed, no doubt, in your very own ways, whatever those ways might actually be in your respective mortal lives. You may indeed still often try to hide the simple fact that you actually are a woman, and not a man, but I am quite certain that I happen to know you now quite fully indeed, Motoko. Yet not totally, of course, if I ever will somehow do so, though, you know. Within you, there definitely beats the heart of a woman, always yearning to be loved not just for being a woman, but for being a human being as well. Your past made you quite willing to take on any challenge, no matter how daunting it seemed, your present makes you quite willing to love, and your future will make you quite willing to bear any necessary sacrifice to see that an overall family goal will be fully achievable as long as you still live somehow into it, I'm quite sure."

Not too much later, perhaps, then, everyone retired either to certain beds or to certain sleeping bags in various places anywhere in the hotel suite, but most especially Motoko and Keitaro, who both eventually retired to the main sleeping area in it. Everyone was either sleeping or otherwise occupied, then, by no later than 10:30 at night, local time, without any doubts whatsoever here and now. And so they remained for much, if not all, of the applicable night, quite naturally enough, for that matter.

* * *

Some time later, somewhere near Baghdad, someone was working on secret genetic research, and even trying to see if they could perhaps somehow resurrect or at least near-clone any number of people for their own purposes, whether those people were actually famous or not in their own lives. At the current time, they were trying to bring back, or at least near-clone, two potential or actual previous Babylonian Empire leaders, at least, if not more. Most specifically, in this case, leaders such as Hammurabi and Ishtari, for example.

All of a sudden, they were quite unexpectedly indeed interrupted while working, and captured by a very large party of alien monsters. In exchange for their life, the lives of their assistants, and the lives of any number of others close enough either to them or to their assistants, they were soon required to help the aliens and their masters in their quest to find, capture, or destroy the keys those aliens and their various masters were now seeking, in fact.

The aliens soon co-opted all possible resources whatsoever that they then could, whether they were pieces of information or not, and began dealing with them all as they then saw fit to here and now. Of course, they eventually had to return the entire team of scientists they'd just captured back to Earth, quite naturally enough, for all of the fairly-obvious reasons. But not without first making quite clear indeed to everyone who was then on that team exactly what the penalty or penalties might actually be if they failed enough to help the aliens in their current main, if not only, quest to somehow change history sufficiently enough in their favor. The scientists, quite naturally enough, agreed to do just that as best as they then could, for all the obvious reasons, for that matter. And then they were each returned to the various places all over Earth that they'd each been in when captured by any number of assorted alien monsters, by the way.

They continued their previous work, then, and began periodically reporting as required to their new alien masters. This continued to be the case even after Goggi became the current Ascendant Director, in fact, for the aliens now in question here. And the scientists dared not to then openly challenge them at all, by the way.

The first full week after Goggi then became the current Ascendant for the aliens turned out to be a quite busy week indeed for those various scientists. For their new bosses of a sort made them begin to familiarize themselves quite well indeed with numerous physical and biological characteristics for many different alien races, in fact. Also, they were each made to learn all that they most likely then need to know in order to perhaps genetically engineer somewhat improved versions of countless aliens from the available alien races, by the way. Or at least, that was the aliens' hope and plan for them, anyway.

While their new slaves of a sort were then otherwise occupied quite significantly indeed, the aliens then proceeded to launch minor attacks periodically in and around the Tokyo area, and hoped that they'd be able to draw out any number of their past, current, and/or future foes at least enough to perhaps be able either to capture or to kill them well enough somehow in the near future, if at all possible. Unfortunately for the aliens, at least as of the current time, the Senshi and their allies didn't actually let them do so well enough somehow. Although it wasn't always easy for them to somehow keep the aliens from doing that sufficiently well indeed, of course, for that matter. And several Senshi and any number of their allies nearly were hurt severely at least a few times in any number of battles, in fact.

Several battles with varying levels of intensity were then fought in various places between those on the aliens' side and those not on it. The aliens even went so far as to put much of the Tokyo area under both long-distance and close-in attack quite often indeed, much to the Terrans' great dismay and great fury, in fact. Needless to say, the Senshi and their allies, to say the least, were quite angry about that, of course, for all the obvious reasons here and now. Seeing as they weren't then having as much success as they'd hoped for in drawing out the Senshi and their allies out far enough to perhaps be able to capture or kill them well enough, the aliens then tried another very common battle technique for any number of armed forces anywhere at all in the entire Universe. And that technique they then employed was to try to wear out the Senshi and their allies out well enough by forcing them to fight nearly non-stop, if at all possible, against those very same aliens.

Thousands, if not millions, of alien monsters ultimately fell to the defenses of the Senshi and their allies before the nine world travelers eventually had to return to Japan quite well enough at the very end of July 1993. But not without at least some more fatalities for any number of innocent civilians in various places all over Japan, of course, due to any number of other battles fought anywhere at all after the destruction wreaked on the Hinata Apartments' grounds. Right after the nine travelers finally had returned to Japan, the aliens quite suddenly seemed to abandon their current plans to wreak havoc anywhere at all on Earth for some yet-unknown reason or reasons whatsoever to many Terrans. Including the Senshi and any or all of their current allies against those very same aliens, by the way.

In truth, the aliens had just pulled back their forces for at least a little while so as to perhaps be able to better prepare their forces for future action against their current and/or future enemies. Even though they'd not actually been able to draw out their enemies well enough in a number of battles, they still were at least able to somewhat learn at least a little bit more about them ever single time they fought against a number of the Senshi and/or their allies, if not a lot. And they quite naturally indeed all hoped that whatever information that they'd somehow gathered in the related battles against the Senshi and so many others, it would all somehow allow them to then actually complete their current quest sometime yet in the future, ultimately. Only time would tell for sure, though, if that would ever be the case for them or not, just the same.

The aliens remained largely out of sight for at least two months, if not even longer than that, from the Senshi and their allies. Yet, they were still fully intent on continuing to gain more and more information about them all as they possibly could, just the same. Whether through their growing number of spies, friends, or allies, at least indirectly, or by gaining it themselves through Terran-unknown direct interactions with their potential prey of some sort or sorts, in fact.

Unfortunately, during one or more of their later battles against the Senshi or their allies prior to them pulling a good ways back their forces for at least a little while, certain planned actions had backfired without their immediate knowledge, and several of their newest enemies had quite unexpectedly married each other, and had begun trying for babies with each other in at least a few cases, if not several. Keitaro, for instance, had picked up two more wives and four surrogates himself within the first two months of returning to Japan with his first eight wives after their round-the-world trip with each other.

Keitaro's ninth wife was Nyamo, and his tenth was Tsuruko. While his four surrogates were Anne Frank, Naru Osaka, Kagome Higurashi, and Sango Meyu, for that matter. And all six of those young women were carrying at least one child each by him, if not more, by the time September eventually turned into October of 1993, quite unexpectedly indeed for all who were then concerned sufficiently well with such things, by the way.

Other couples who actually married or became surrogate parents by the end of September 1993 were as follows: Usagi Tsukino and Mamoru Chiba, Ami Mizuno and Ryo Urawa, Rei Hino and Yuuichirou Kumada, Makoto Kino and Shinozaki Miyake, Minako Aino and Kohaku Kumada, Reika Nishimura and Motoki Furuhata, and Haruka Urashima and Seta Noriyasu, at the very least. Also, several others were already pairing up with each other very quickly indeed, hoping to do the exact same thing very soon as well, if at all possible. Among those others who paired up fairly soon after the nine recent world travelers had returned well enough to Japan were, for example, Hotaru Tomoe and Yahiko Myojin, who somehow had met during one or more of the battles fought after that time, and had rapidly fallen for each other, much to the not inconsequential surprise of many who'd actually met them both or separately, as the case might then be for them in their lives. Others paired up eventually for at least one or two reasons other than love, but not all of them did so, of course, just the same, in fact.

Besides Hotaru and Yahiko, then, those other couples included couples like Ayame and Kouga, Ran and Shinichi, and the two versions of Kikyo marrying either Kurogin or Hojo, with the Feudal Era Kikyo marrying the former, and the Present-Day one marrying the latter, to name just a few, for example, if they'd not already done so by the very end of September 1993. Gwendolyn Cooper and Kevin Arnold, Laura Winslow and Steve Urkel, Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder, and Kazuha Toyama and Heiji Hattori were also among those couples who either got married or began pairing up with each other by then, for that matter. Many of them soon found that they were then definitely with child by a factor of at least one, if not more than one, and most, if not all, of them were very soon told to perhaps expect at least twins when they did so, much to their obviously great surprise, of course, quite often.

As October turned to November, even more couples paired up with each other, if they'd not already done so. And some, at least, of them even got married and with child as well, for that matter. However, the aliens did not yet show themselves again sufficiently well. Which soon began to concern Keitaro considerably as his ten current wives and his four current surrogates still continued to carry many of his future children within their respective wombs, soon leading him to eventually say to Shinobu, who now looked about, at least, twice as far along as she probably then would have looked in a more normal-type situation, "I think that our enemies might seek to try something again very soon, if they somehow have at least some knowledge about many of you ladies now being with child, Shinobu."

"Yes, I daresay you're right, Keitaro. And if I were them, and knew that at least one of my enemies was likely due to give birth in the near future, I would wait to attack, perhaps, until they each were at their very weakest, most likely. A woman is perhaps at her very weakest, normally, when she's just about to give birth, I believe. And in our case, it seems I will be the first of your women to give birth. So I'd figure that when they realize this well enough, if they somehow do, they'll be gunning for you and me most of all among us all here and now. Will you be with me here on our soon-to-be-rebuilt home's grounds when I do, Senpai?" asked Shinobu, as she and Keitaro were alone with each other in a recently-erected U.S. Army mess tent donated by a full platoon of U.S. Army soldiers with the full permission of their superiors all the way up the chain of command, including the U.S. President, in fact. Several other like tents were placed in other nearby places all over the grounds of the Hinata Apartments, by the way.

"Nothing will keep me away from being at your side when you do, Shinobu, if I can ever possibly avoid it somehow. I promise you this just as sure as the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west, for that matter."

"Good. I really can't wait until Parker, Jordan, Zariah, and Cameron are finally out of me once and for all, then, Keitaro. Kaolla and the others really want to see them soon, if at all possible, of course."

"I see. I wonder just what each of them will look like then, quite obviously enough, Shinobu."

"Well, whatever they might then each come to look like is just fine with me. They still seem to want to be born on my birthday, according to Ami and Mamoru, at least, if not others as well, Keitaro, just so you know this here and now quite well enough. As for Motoko, she can't wait herself for her own children to be born either for very much longer. She really wants to see her own future doctor and swordmistress very soon indeed, in fact."

"Does she have names picked out for them like you do?"

"She says she does, but none of us who aren't her doctors have yet been somehow able to pry those names out of her sufficiently well, just yet, not even her sister Tsuruko. And her doctors are being just as secretive as she still is regarding them, at least. We do know, though, from herself and her doctors, by her own choice, that she is expecting a boy and a girl now, to be born on her own next birthday, if at all possible."

"And the others?"

"Kaolla, Mutsumi, and Koushoku, at least, are each expecting to give birth to multiples, in each case, on their respective birthdays. I believe Chandra, at least, is too. But not Mitsune, for we all know her last birthday was in August, about two months ago. Mitsune, however, is hoping to deliver in late February or early March, about half a year after her last birthday, more or less."

"I see. So by mid- to late June of next year, how many babies do you think will come to be born well enough, then, Shinobu, if I might ask you this here and now well enough?"

"Counting my first four, I'd expect at least fifty to sixty babies to be born due to all the marriages and/or surrogacies around here, if not more than that, I think, Keitaro. Most, if not all, of them yours."

"Whoa! That's a lot!"

"True, but when the aliens zapped you, at least, when they did, they then forced that, you know. And a whole lot of other things, of course. I hope they're all quite willing to accept the necessary consequences of the foolish actions that they chose to carry out earlier, for that matter, Keitaro. For there will most certainly be blood if and when any of us ever somehow manage to find the ones that are truly behind this quest of theirs against us and our kinds of sentient beings in this Universe of ours."

Eventually, Keitaro was called away from Shinobu for at least a few minutes, if not for even longer than that, by a few of his other wives. However, they still let him at least kiss and hug Shinobu for a few more moments before whisking him away from her again here, just the same. Then they brought him to another area of the grounds in very short order. Most specifically an area which Motoko was hoping to make into a potential training area and/or an armory area on her part, and which Kaolla and Mutsumi wanted to make into a park/garden area, if at all possible.

Keitaro surveyed the entire contested area for at least an hour or two, and then said, "Motoko's proposed training area my have up to sixty percent of the contested area for it. Kaolla and Mutsumi's park/garden area may have up to 25 percent of it. And Motoko's proposed armory area may have up to fifteen percent of it, as well. Any area that's still left over after the limits for any or all of the areas just mentioned will be made free for the claiming to my other wives and/or my surrogates, at least. Is that clear, ladies?"

Motoko, Kaolla, and Mutsumi soon confirmed that was quite clear to them all sufficiently well to his own satisfaction, of course. He then told them all that the first of his wives to find him after dark would be the one that he'd spend the night with, even if they didn't feel like doing much of anything, if anything at all, with him then, in fact. Seeing as all three of them were all showing now, at least two of them more than the other, the chances of them really doing much with him on the upcoming night weren't all that good, for all the obvious reasons here, quite naturally enough. Not long after he did so, then, he soon absented himself from them again, and let them start to figure out just how they wanted or needed to divide up the designated part of the grounds according to Keitaro's just-decided conditions here and now.

Keitaro then randomly moved all around the grounds, periodically conversing with various sentients as he did so. Many of them were human, obviously, but at least a few of them were not, of course. Like Luna and Artemis, for instance, who were each then in their respective feline forms when he next talked to them on it, in fact.

When he encountered Ami, Ryo, Usagi, and Mamoru next, he found them near where a 600-bed infirmary was being planned on its grounds, but not yet constructed. And they were now clustering around what appeared to be several very strange seeds of possibly non-Sol System origin when he found them well enough. They soon asked him if he somehow knew what kinds of seeds they might then be. He soon examined them all for at least a little while, one at a time, and then said, "These seeds are for certain flowers on various worlds in the Hinata Solar System, you four. They were evidently dropped here a while ago sometime after several of my wives came back here earlier, but not yet noticed until just now by you all. When the Senshi and Knight for each now-represented world are then known sufficiently to be expecting for at least the first time, such seeds will need to be planted as soon as possible into at least one pot, if not directly into a garden area, if at all possible, it seems."

"But what if they are found after that time, then, Keitaro?" asked Usagi. "I mean, we all know now that Anne, for instance, is carrying one child by you, right?"

"Actually, Usagi-chan, she is carrying four, it seems," said Ami.

"You don't say, Ami-chan. Well, that's a surprise, I figure, at least for me."

"Rei knows, and so do the rest of our crowd, Usagi-chan," said Ami.

"Why was I, as usual, the last to know about this, perhaps, then?"

"I think that might be my fault, Usako. You see, I was told to keep you very, very, very busy, so to speak, after our multiple weddings in September, by your parents, at least, if not others as well. They told me to start trying to create Chiba-usa with you, for instance."

"Then I suppose I'd best talk to my parents for at least a little while, if not a long while, Mamoru. However, once she's out, you'd better hope that I'll ever allow you such liberties as much as I have since our huge multiple-weddings ceremony, somehow, at least once more in the future, if not more than that."

"I'm quite sure you will, Serenity. Remember, supposedly, according to the ancient Greco-Roman myths, Selene gave birth to fifty daughters by a mere shepherd boy named Endymion, if I'm not too mistaken here and now. So I figure that we may very well have another 49 daughters besides her, if reality matches that mythological legend sufficiently well, I think."

"What? You expect me to have at least another 49 children by you after her? You must be completely nuts to think that, Mamoru!"

"But that's what the myth suggests, Serenity," said Mamoru, as he suddenly shifted quite unexpectedly into his Prince Endymion form, which invariably then caused Usagi to shift into her Princess Serenity form. Mamoru, now Endymion, then picked up Princess Serenity, threw her over his shoulder, and suddenly whisked her away from Keitaro, Ami, and Ryo, without any warning at all, via teleporting with her to a very certain place elsewhere in the world.

Ami soon answered Keitaro's unvoiced question, and said, "He's taken her to somewhere in Europe to be alone with him there sufficiently far from any potential eyes, ears, and/or any other kinds of sensory organs or devices that we all currently know of well enough in this Universe of ours. Just where, none of us are currently able to say to most, if not all, other sentients who aren't close enough to us in our own mortal lives, Keitaro-san."

"Why, Ami-san?"

"For everyone's safety, that's why. He knew that if he didn't, that might pose a quite significant danger to anyone or anything close enough to them both, and especially if our new enemies somehow were able to detect it well enough and they might decide to send more of their monsters here. Long story far too long to share here and now, unfortunately for us right now, it seems, Keitaro-san."

"Anyone like my wives, for example."

"That is correct," said Ami.

"So to protect us all for at least a while, then, he suddenly disappeared with her to an undisclosed location, in essence?"

"Yes. If they are needed later, though, of course they'll return, if at all possible, Keitaro-san," said Ami.

Eventually, everyone then still on the grounds had their respective suppers on it, and often in groups of varying sizes. By that time, though, the Chibas had not yet returned to them well enough. Which soon led Koushoku to ask, "Where are the Chibas, and why aren't they here, and when do they expect to be back here well enough, Rei-san?"

"We can't answer your first two questions without their mutual consent, but we perhaps can tell you that they might be back soon, and perhaps very soon indeed, at that," answered Rei, just a few brief minutes or so later.

With that then said, everyone eventually had their respective suppers on the current night before splitting from each other as they then wanted or needed for the rest of the night. Even Keitaro and his wives all did so, of course, for that matter. As for the wife who eventually found him first on the grounds sometime later, it was actually, somehow, Shinobu by just a hair, so to speak, over Mitsune.

"Drat! Missed out on him yet again! Maybe next time I'll be the one to find him first, Shinobu."

"If you'd have been watching him a bit more instead of talking a bit more with Kenshin Himura like you were doing, you might have found him first just now. But I wasn't really doing anything else then that actually needed my attention a great deal, so I happened to see him slip away at least a minute or so before any of the rest of you did so well enough. I then silently followed him for a while, but eventually, the rest of you began to cut into my head start on you all. You, most of all, much to my not inconsiderable surprise, Mitsune. After several of you then unexpectedly tried to get ahead of me and each other by suddenly powering up into your respective Senshi states, I too ultimately powered up as well, in order to try to retain at least enough of a lead on the rest of you to find him first. I didn't use as much of my Senshi abilities against any of you as I might have used either against you or one of our enemies, simply because we're all carrying Keitaro's kids in ourselves. And, of course, I did not use any of them against either Tsuruko or Nyamo then. First, because they too are having his kids as well. And, second, to the best of my current knowledge, they are not Senshi like us, but just civilians, if I'm not too mistaken here and now."

"And so you found him first. Well, then, Shinobu, I hope you enjoy yourself with him, no matter what, just the same," said Mitsune, a little while later.

"I hope so, too, if my little muffins actually let me do so well enough."

"Your 'little muffins,' eh? Interesting term for them all, wouldn't you say, Shinobu?" asked Mitsune.

"Yes, perhaps. But, remember, I'm a chef. So it would probably not be too unusual for me to perhaps call them such things at least every once in a while, I think, Mitsune. Would it not?"

"I suppose not, Shinobu. Go to him, then. I'll just have to try to beat the rest of you to him some other time, you know."

"Perhaps we'll just cuddle and talk tonight, Mitsune, for the obvious reasons here and now. But I wish Senpai and I could still perhaps do more, just the same, you know."

"Hopefully, you'll have at least one chance to do more than to just do sitting, cuddling, and/or talking with him in the future, if not more than one such chance, Shinobu."

"But first my little muffins will have to come out of the oven, so to speak, you know."

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Then we'll see what happens after they do, Mitsune."

Mitsune nodded, and then let Shinobu go to their husband, for the obvious reasons here and now, while she and Keitaro's other eight wives watched her do so. Once Shinobu and Keitaro disappeared into Shinobu's tent together, the remaining total of nine wives for Keitaro briefly congregated and conversed with each other before separating for the rest of the night and heading to their own tents on the grounds, of course. And so eventually ended the night of Monday, November 1, 1993, in its proper timing, quite naturally enough.

* * *

The next chapter will have many pleasant surprises in it, but also some more trouble, quite naturally enough, people. I hope you have generally enjoyed this chapter, and that you will come back for the next one, in time, then, everyone. The next chapter may not be quite as long as this one was, but it won't likely be the shortest one of the story. Future chapters may be somewhat longer than any or all of the previous chapters to this story before this one, but you'll all just have to wait and see just how long they will be. I will have two versions for Chapters Ten and Eleven, most likely. The more mature ones may have to be placed elsewhere, for certain reasons that I'm sure you all might be able to figure out well enough. I don't know where, but I still think that I may have to put them elsewhere, if they actually remain enough as they are at the present time. I am going to try to keep this story from going to an M level, just so you people know this well enough, but we'll see if that happens here or not, for sure. I hope I can somehow still keep it at a T level, but the needs of the story will dictate what I ultimately do, I'm quite sure. Until later, then, this is The Universal Storyteller signing off, and hoping that you all come back for the next exciting chapter of _The One You Miss Most_. And away I go!


	9. Chapter Nine: Blessings Amidst Battles

Here's Chapter Nine of _The One You Miss Most_. Much will happen in this chapter, and there will be many surprises in it, many good, many not-so-good. In fact, even Ghostwriter actually gets a physical body of some sort in this chapter, believe it or not, near the end of it. I really don't want to spoil the chapter too much here for you all, of course, people. So I think I'd best get you all back to the story here as soon as possible, then. With no further ado, then, I give you all Chapter Nine of _The One You Miss Most_. This is The Universal Storyteller now signing off here for at least a little while, for the obvious reasons here, quite naturally enough. Until later, please take care and all that, and I hope to see many clean, courteous, and constructive reviews for this chapter and/or any of the previous chapters of it very soon, you know. TUS out.

* * *

Chapter Nine: Blessings Amidst Battles

* * *

On the Friday before she was expecting to give birth, which was November 12, 1993, Shinobu ordered quadruple the protection details from the necessary people who'd helped protect the Apartments' grounds ever since the aliens had pulled back quite unexpectedly earlier, for she very strongly expected at least one potential alien attack on or near them in the very near future. By this time, there were at least four guard towers now on the grounds, if not more, all constructed and equipped as needed and/or desired under the supervision of Kaolla, Motoko, and Koushoku. The infirmary was also ten percent complete, and heavily shielded at present by various shield generators and/or one or more Senshi and/or Senshi allies. The grounds still had many tents present on them, of course, but those tents would perhaps be considerably, if not entirely, replaced in the near future by three new dormitory areas, if at all possible. In essence, everyone began preparing quite furiously for a potentially major, and potentially imminent, alien attack very soon after the present time, for all the obvious reasons here and now, of course.

The necessary protection details were put fully into place no more than 48 hours later, in any case. And everyone concerned, of course, greatly hoped that it would be at least enough defensive enhancement to repel that potential alien attack sufficiently well, if and when it ever was made well enough, against the Hinata local area, by the way.

As expected, then, on the day that Shinobu was due to give birth, the aliens decided to attack for the first time in months. Just about three hours before they did, Shinobu woke up about five to ten minutes before her water broke, for her babies kicked her out of the world of slumber quite well indeed, in fact, as if they were somehow trying to warn her of that attack before it actually happened, by the way.

When they did kick her sufficiently awake, she was then in her tent, which was directly under where her room had been in the now-destroyed Hinata Apartments, but was now within the area that Motoko, Mutsumi, and Kaolla had earlier contested over for a potential training area, a potential park/garden area, and a potential armory area, in fact. Not too much later, just before her water broke, she went to where Keitaro was, and said, "Senpai, my water is about to break, it seems. Please hurry and let all the necessary people know that things are most likely going to star very soon. Parker thinks our enemies will perhaps start to attack in about three hours, more or less, it seems."

Almost immediately, then, Keitaro was out of his current sleeping area, and heading off to notify the other necessary people just as quickly as he then could. He returned to her side just a few seconds before her water broke, and held her as it did, just a few seconds after Shinobu had removed her underwear bottoms for probably the last time while she was still carrying Parker, Jordan, Zariah, and Cameron. As her contractions began to occur, he stayed near her as much as he then could, so that she would be able to perhaps gain strength and comfort from his current presence near her now. Shinobu was very pleased that he did so, of course, and even reveled, perhaps, in the fact that she was just about to give birth to four of her Senpai's children, for that matter. Eventually, though, the time for her to give birth was almost upon her, the quadruplets, and Keitaro, quite naturally enough. It was just then, in fact, that Ami, Mamoru, and Shiori, AKA the female Zoisite, at least, were finally able to reach her side sufficiently well, for various reasons perhaps too numerous to mention currently, if ever at all.

As Parker quickly put his head down first, by mutual prior agreement of all four quadruplets, into the necessary places, Shinobu felt him do so, somehow, and suddenly said, "Here we go, everyone! Time to pop these muffins out of the oven! And time to ice aliens, it seems." No more than ten or so seconds later, the aliens launched their attack against the Apartments' grounds here, as expected, as Parker's head quickly crowned and was born, at exactly noon Japan time on Monday, November 15, 1993. The rest of him quickly followed his head, just as soon as it could, and then Jordan moved into the proper birth position just as soon as Parker was sufficiently clear of their mother's body. When Parker was so, a birthmark that would normally be hidden from view briefly appeared on his forehead, and this birthmark appeared to be in the approximate shape of six quills and six cooking utensils arranged in clock-like fashion somehow, for some yet-unknown reason or reasons. It remained visible to all then with Shinobu and Keitaro for no more than perhaps twenty or so seconds, then, before disappearing from view, in fact.

Jordan followed not more than two minutes later, then, after Parker's mark had hidden itself well enough, in terms of his head's crowning and birth. His usually-hidden birthmark was soon seen to be located on his right arm just above his right wrist, and it appeared to be in the approximate shape of a ring of light blue, pink, and indigo watery globes around a snowflake-like rose's head, perhaps. It, like Parker's, soon hid itself from view, not too much later, of course.

Right after it did, then, Shinobu felt Zariah move into the proper position as well. Zariah took her own sweet time in being born, so to speak, unlike her older brothers, for she was not necessarily just as impatient to be born as they had been. But, eventually, she too stuck her head, and the rest of her, out as needed, for the obvious reasons. She herself was born at roughly 12:28 pm Japanese time, more or less. Her own usually-hidden birthmark was soon seen to be located on her back, and in the approximate shape of several crossed icicle-like spears, perhaps, inside the considerably large head of a sunflower with many seeds and many petals on or around it, in fact. Most specifically, this usually-hidden birthmarks of hers would be roughly in the middle of her own back. It eventually disappeared from view as well, of course, when needed, quite naturally enough. When it did, then Cameron quickly popped his head where needed, and was out not too much later himself.

He ultimately was born at 12:30 pm Japan time, and his birthmark soon appeared in the approximate form of a polar bear-like animal of some sort standing on its hind legs on the front of his own torso between his shoulders and his waist. It remained sufficiently visible for no more than perhaps a minute or so to all others then present near him now before becoming just as invisible as his fellow quadruplets' birthmarks had just become not too long before.

Then all the quads suddenly seemed to glow brightly for a few seconds with various shades of Shinobu and Keitaro's respective Senshi and Knight colors. They stretched out their respective hands towards each other, and somehow silently generated a moderately large globe of light with all those colors present in it, just before somehow sending it directly towards where Shinobu and Keitaro now were in Shinobu's tent. They quickly encapsulated their parents within that globe for a brief time, and then released them from it not long afterward. When they did so, then, quite well enough, both Keitaro and Shinobu were in somewhat upgraded versions of their previous Senshi and Knight-type uniforms, in fact. Shinobu's new Senshi uniform was slightly more elaborate and slightly more serious-looking, while Keitaro's new Knight uniform looked slightly more elaborate and slightly more artistic-looking.

When Super Sailor Leyua and Super Hinata Knight both realized what had just happened well enough, they briefly looked at each other, then at the doctors who'd just helped Shinobu with the delivering of her new babies, before sharing another brief look at each other. That done, then, Shinobu said, simply, "Protect them with your lives, you all. Meanwhile, we now have to kick some SERIOUS alien tails, so to speak. That is all!"

"Understood, Shinobu. We will do as you now request, of course," said Mamoru. And the others then present immediately shifted to their own respective combat states, if they actually had any such states of their very own here and now, of course. Shinobu and Keitaro briefly nodded to each of them in turn, one at a time. And then both of them quickly burst out of Shinobu's current tent, fully intent on wiping out any number of alien monsters that they might then have to face, if they absolutely had to, quite obviously enough. By 1 pm Japan time, then, at least several hundred monsters had quickly been wiped out by them both as they periodically moved all over the grounds assisting any number of others with their overall defense of them. This continued on, then, for quite some time indeed, until the surviving aliens were ultimately driven away by the sheer ferocity of the defenders' protection for the grounds and those on or in assorted tunnels and/or caverns under them, for that matter, by no later than perhaps 5 pm Japan time, in any case at all, here and now. After the just-ended battle was unquestionably over once and for all, then, Shinobu and everyone else eventually took stock on the necessary effects of that battle.

It turned out that the defenders had only suffered about 500 casualties, more or less, overall, as opposed to perhaps at least a thousand times that for the alien invaders/attackers, by the end of the battle. And of the defenders' overall casualties, perhaps about eighty or so of them had still ultimately proven to be fatalities, unfortunately. So that, of course, would mean that their various names as well would have to all be placed as well wherever necessary and wherever appropriate, just as soon as they could all be placed there quite well enough, for all the obvious reasons here and now, just the same.

Not long after they all did so well enough, then, Shinobu and everyone else soon did whatever else they now wanted or needed to do in their respective lives, no matter what it was, quite naturally enough. Including, of course, going right back, in many cases, to see Keitaro and Shinobu's first four children well enough for a long enough time.

By this time, Parker's eyes had turned bright purple, at least for the most part, and had flecks of orange and medium blue in them, somehow. Also, Parker had some still-faint hints of purple hair perhaps tinted with cardinal red tips every so often. As he waited to be picked up, he also was holding a small spatula in one hand and a small quill-like pen in the other, with his arms crossed in front of him, in fact. He gave both of his parents very studious looks the first time each of them ever held him in their arms, before they put him back in his crib.

Next to be held for the new quadruplets was Jordan, quite naturally enough. When his parents then had picked him up and each held him in their arms for the first time ever, Jordan was quite carefully examining a sculpture that had several holders for any number of globes around a good-sized clump of carved rosebushes, for that matter. His eyes were mostly dark brown, with flecks of yellow and purple, and what little there currently was for his hair was generally dark brown with light purple tips, perhaps. He was also slightly lighter and slightly taller than Parker was here, by the way, somehow.

Then Zariah came next, in terms of being held by her parents, of course. She had mostly medium blue eyes with occasional flecks of pink, red, and yellow in them, somehow. Her slightly more apparent hair was mostly either light blue or black, but it also had the occasional orange or pink tips for it, just the same. When they each held her for the very first time ever, she held several icicle-like items between the fingers of her right hand and several sunflower-like items between the fingers of her left hand, after having somehow located them well enough in her mother's own tent, in fact, sometime during the battle elsewhere on or near the Apartments' grounds.

Finally, Cameron was the last of the four to be handled here, quite naturally enough. When he was eventually picked up well enough, then, he was currently holding a miniature polar bear-like animal that the Juubanites' Haruka had made earlier at Shinobu and Keitaro's mutual request. He had mostly dark brown eyes with a few flecks of sky blue and cardinal red in them. And there was a very small patch of what appeared somehow to be almost silvery-blue hair on his head at the crown, for that matter. When he locked his eyes briefly with his parents' eyes, one parent at a time, Shinobu and Keitaro both suddenly got the feeling that he would perhaps come to be the overall strongest of the four quads in combat abilities and/or skills, if and whenever he might actually have to fight against the aliens in the future. Supposing, of course, that he actually lived long enough somehow in it. And when they did, they both felt a whole lot better about their sides' ultimate chances in their current conflict with the aliens, for some yet-unknown reason or reasons, in fact. They finally returned him to his own crib as well, then, before letting everyone else who'd not yet seen them who wanted to see them eventually do so one or two at a time, at least, if not more than just one or two at a time.

The first of Keitaro's other wives and/or surrogates to see the new quadruplets were Mutsumi, Kaolla, and Motoko, followed soon after, in their proper turns, by Koushoku, Mitsune, Chandra, Surya, Nyamo, Tsuruko, Anne, Midori, Kagome, and Sango, by the way. Most, if not all, of them were very happy indeed to finally see and meet the long-awaited quads after much still-recent trouble due to their new alien enemies. Especially in the cases of Mutsumi, Kaolla, Mitsune, and Nyamo, in fact. Mitsune probably spoke for many then present in Shinobu's tent, when she eventually said to both parents of those quads, "Ya done good, ya two! They're beautiful! Simply beautiful! Ya two sure got a good bunch of young'uns here, and I think that Parker and Zariah are going to be quite the lookers when they get much older too, if I don't miss my guess with them too much here and now. As for Jordan, I think he'll be quite the athletic sort, but not necessarily as strong as Cameron might be in terms of overall combat ability and/or skill. And as for Cameron, I think that he may possibly be much stronger, fighting-wise, than even Tsuruko now is, if he somehow is able to live long enough to actually do so in the future. In perhaps ten to fifteen years, more or less, I don't think that I'd ever want to be one of our enemies who'd ever have to fight him in a battle, everyone. If I did, I'd probably want to get as far away from him as I could, just as soon as I could, if at all possible, in fact."

"Whoa! Mitsune, what just made you say those things, if I might ask?" asked Keitaro.

"I can't really explain sufficiently well, at least not at the current time, I think, Keitaro, but call it perhaps a few hunches of mine, for a lack of words, probably, for now, to do so well enough. One could perhaps get quite lost in several of your kids' eyes here in maybe ten to fifteen years, I think, if they're ever given the chance somehow to live that long well enough," said Mitsune, after a bit more time had passed now for all present.

Eventually, several of Keitaro's current ladies left the tent for a while, but not all of them, so that several other people and animals could see all four quads here as well. Usagi and the rest of her then-available Senshi and Knights were among them all, of course.

Usagi studied each of them for a time, one at a time, and eventually said, "We will all perhaps need to watch Chiba-usa the closest we all possibly can around Jordan. Those two will likely feel the need to cause at least a little mischief, if not a lot, fairly often with each other. I don't think they'll ever be romantically attracted to each other, but I do think, still, that they'll normally be very wary about each other's potential or actual love interests. At least at first, of course, if not always for any and/or all of them."

"And what of Helios, Usagi?" asked Rei.

"I think that if he can somehow get Jordan's approval well enough, the others will follow his lead, at least as it pertains to Chiba-usa's heart. But Parker will most likely be the overall leader, with Zariah right behind him, in her own way. Then Jordan, and finally Cameron. One thing we should probably always remember, though, everyone, if at all possible. Never, never, never, get Cameron extremely angry, if you can EVER avoid it somehow! Those who do so well enough will perhaps either get very seriously hurt, if not killed, by him, if he's angry enough at a particular time! Most especially if anyone or anything he really cares for is in great, if not grave, danger, for that matter!"

"And if that's so, Usagi-san?" asked Kaolla.

"Those who get him at least THAT angry had better hope he lets them live, at least, if not more than that, but also realize quite well that they may very well be killed by him, if he so desires to do that, Kaolla-san. Let me give you one perhaps very important word of advice, as well, Kaolla. Or perhaps two, if not more. One, NEVER try your devices out on him without his undeniable full consent, or else you may very well be at least six feet under, if not more, very soon afterward. Two, NEVER try them out on either of his parents, if not both of them, without their willing consents in his confirmed known presence, or on any or all of his siblings without the same, or you may perhaps find yourself there very easily and very soon, as well. Cameron will definitely NOT be someone you will ever want to mess with needlessly, Kaolla, if you really want to live for a long enough time into the future, for sure."

"So are you saying he will become a vicious person, Usagi?" asked Shinobu.

"No, I'm not saying that at all, for sure, here and now, Shinobu-san. I am saying, Senshi-to-Senshi, at least, that he is potentially going to be an extremely dangerous opponent to those he ever fights battles against in the future, if he's ever provoked sufficiently well in his life, somehow."

"So anyone who ticks him off enough had better perhaps already have dug their own grave, so to speak, Usagi?" asked Haruka Noriyasu, who finally was able to get into Shinobu's tent well enough here and now.

"Precisely, Haruka-san. He may not care much about how close you might be to those he cares about the most in his life, but instead about what he might have to do to at least neutralize, if not totally eliminate, any possible perceived or actual threat, if and whenever possible in the future for him, at least, if not also for anyone or anything else as well, I believe."

"Then if he is not sufficiently provoked, what do you think his usual mien might be, then, Usagi-san?" asked Keitaro.

"Generally rather docile, I believe. Especially if his friends, associates, and/or relatives never would play ANY tricks on him whatsoever in his life. He might not object if anyone else plays tricks on those who are closest to him in his life, or he may. It would perhaps depend on the kinds of, and the natures of, the tricks being played, if I'm not too mistaken here, Keitaro-san," said Usagi, a few minutes of generally silent thinking later.

"Then we should perhaps make it a family rule NEVER to provoke him needlessly, right?" asked Shinobu.

"Most definitely, Shinobu. Most definitely. For if we are ever going to ultimately defeat our new mutual enemies well enough in the future, somehow, we need all the help we can possibly get on our side of things, I think," said Usagi.

"That is true," said Sylvia Wakefield, as she and her boyfriend Rolando Volois suddenly entered Shinobu's tent for the first time in perhaps two or so weeks, more or less. "Usagi, I hear that the chef and the manager's babies have now arrived. Is that actually so?"

"Indeed it is. And they look beautiful, in fact. How were things back in Scotland and Israel when you each were called there for a while, then?"

"Terrorists tried to wreak more havoc, as usual, in various places all over Israel, but my team helped deal with a number of them reasonably well. As for our time in Scotland, we visited with a number of Rolando's friends and associates, and even attended a few weddings and other ceremonies, for that matter, Usagi."

"You missed several of the recent battles here, Rolando and Sylvia, over the last three or four months, more or less, while you were periodically away," said Shinobu.

"Really? Perhaps you could tell us all about them, if we don't already know of them well enough, somehow, Shinobu?" asked Rolando.

"Well, many were killed on both sides of them. Also, there are many more couples here than were here the last time you two were here for more than a week at a time, in fact, Rolando. For instance, Hotaru Tomoe got married to someone else who none of us had ever expected her to marry. Several other people paired up with each other and either married each other or became surrogate parents with each other," said Shinobu, a few seconds later.

"Wow! How in the Galaxy did that happen, if I might ask, then?" asked Rolando.

"They tried to curse many of those here then to lives without true love, for instance, but Sailor Venus overpowered their planned actions through her abilities as the Sol System's Senshi of Love, with at least some assistance from Venus Knight, Sailor Farujei, and Farujei Knight, if not a lot, it seems," said Keitaro. "Their planned actions eventually backfired on them, so now there are many more couples together than there were here while eight of my ten wives were still with me on our recent round-the-world trip, Rolando."

"You say you have two more wives, Keitaro?" asked Sylvia. "Who are they, then, if we might ask?"

"That would be me, for one," said Nyamo, as she then entered the tent and brought several bottles to Shinobu, who had just decided to sit on her bed with Parker, at least.

"And me, for a second," said Tsuruko, as she brought some just-made food and drinks straight from Makoto and Shinozaki elsewhere on the grounds.

"Let me see if I can remember or guess who you each are, then, you two, please," said Sylvia. Sylvia studied them both, and then said, "The one with the long hair must be Tsuruko, if I remember well enough, while the one with tanned skin who supposedly looks a lot like Shinobu must be the Nyamo that we've recently been hearing a lot about, even from as far away as Dublin, Ireland, is from here."

"You are quite correct, Sylvia," said Keitaro.

"You have obviously been quite busy since July, it seems, Keitaro. From what I hear, fourteen of the women here now are carrying children by you or just were doing so, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"That is so. However, one of them no longer is, as you can perhaps see well enough by now, I think."

"Yes, I see that, Keitaro. So who are your firstborn children, then, if we might ask you two about them all here and now?" asked Sylvia.

Shinobu said, "This one is Parker near me now, Sylvia."

"May we each hold him briefly, please?"

"Very well, then, but please be careful, of course," said Shinobu, as she then handed Parker to Sylvia and Rolando for a brief time here. Parker was handed off first to Sylvia, then to Rolando, before being returned to Shinobu.

Sylvia soon said, "This one will be the likely best writer and/or best chef of the bunch, at least, if not also the best artist, of it, it seems to me."

Then Rolando took him, soon saying, "This one will lead, normally, most often by mere example, if and whenever possible, perhaps. He may not be the strongest, or the smartest, but his heart will remain pure for many years, if not forever, if he somehow has a long enough life into the future. The first woman or girl he may ever kiss romantically will also be his wife for as long as they both still live, once they marry each other. Their children shall be many, and none of them will die young."

With those things then said, Rolando handed Parker back to Shinobu, in fact, in very short order. Shinobu then began to bottle-feed him at present due to the presence of certain males in her tent now, of course. After which, she then had Ami hand Jordan off to Sylvia for a brief time, at least.

Sylvia soon said, "This one will be the virtual amphibian of a sort, perhaps, of this bunch. He will often be able to go many places nobody else will be able to go, it seems. He will be equally at home in the water, on land, in the air, and in outer space, able to breathe in a wide variety of atmospheres at least as long as his brain is sufficiently alive or his heart still beats, if not both. He will not die as long as he still has at least one of those two organs still working well enough, if not both. He will also have the abilities to periodically revive any form of live or perhaps to speed up the maturation processes of certain organisms, whether sentient or not, to a certain degree, as he might feel the need to do so."

Rolando then took him from Sylvia, before eventually saying, "Many will be kept at least temporarily from permanent enough mortal death by him in the future. He will, however, have a shorter lifespan than the three who he was just born with, and he will not see sixty years of age in his mortal life, at most, but probably no more than fifty years, most likely, if even that. While he lives, many will find the Light, while many will not, in time. He must not over-exert himself, however, if and whenever he can possibly ever avoid it at all. The more often he does, the shorter his mortal life will most certainly be then for him in this Universe of ours." He then handed Jordan back to Ami, quite naturally enough.

Shinobu asked, "Is she to be a Knight, then, Rolando?"

"Unknown at present, for sure, but I can't deny either that he might eventually be one somehow, it seems to me now, at least, Shinobu," answered Rolando.

"Which one is the third quad?" asked Sylvia.

"That would be Zariah," said Usagi, as she then picked them up with her parents' nods of consent, just before handing her to Sylvia for a time.

Sylvia studied Zariah for a little while, then said, "This one will be quiet, but potentially dangerous to those who may ever underestimate her or others close enough to her in her life. She will have few true friends, but those few friends will be hers for life, God willing. It will take much time for her to find and develop lifelong friendships with those friends, but once she does, they will bloom evermore as long as she and they each still live their respective mortal lives."

She then handed Zariah to Rolando, who soon said, "Much heartbreak is in this one's future, yet she too, somehow, will ultimately find it amidst the rubble of many broken dreams and associations for her in her life. The one who heals, and rebuilds, her heart into a lovely garden palace of sorts will be her mate and her love for the rest of their respective lives together. Many blooms will grow in their garden palace of sorts, and spawn others quite often as well in the future, for that matter. As we have now said, then, so shall it be, God willing!" Then Rolando returned Zariah to Usagi, who soon placed her back in her own crib, of course.

"And the last quad, then, must be this young boy?" asked Sylvia, as she then motioned towards Cameron here and now, quite naturally enough.

Shinobu soon nodded, and then had Keitaro hand Cameron right on over to Sylvia. Sylvia studied him as well for a while, before saying, "Two natures will be in great conflict for him all his life. A nature of peace and a nature of war will perpetually strive for dominance as long as he lives. There will be no resolution of the conflict within his soul, ultimately, until he dies, if he does not live until Christ returns for His own, at least. If, however, the nature of peace is dominant when and if his mortal life ends, it will allow him to claim the Light, and not the darkness, for his eternal home. And vice versa. If the nature of peace is actually dominant at his life's end, he will save many lives at that time. If the nature of war actually is dominant the, he will take many."

Rolando took Cameron, then, for at least a while, so as to study him for a time, and eventually said, "Stronger than a lion, smarter than an owl, sweeter than honey, more dangerous than a volcano or an earthquake, and quicker than a lightning bolt shall this one be his whole life. He shall have the strength of a bear, the intelligence of an ant, the heart of a dove or lamb, the determination of an eagle, and the speed of a raging fire between his changes in his then-prevailing disposition at any time, whenever they actually come to pass for him in his life. He will also be more loyal than a dog to those beings and things he cares most for in his entire life, no matter who or what they might be, and will defend them all to the very end of his life, if he must. Train him well in the ways of both his natures, and do then all that you can possibly do in order to see that he does not ultimately destroy everything and everyone he may eventually have to deal with in his entire life. If he actually lives long enough, somehow, he will be the strongest of these four quadruplets. If not, then it will be Parker. Guard his emotions until he is old enough to do so well enough, if ever, all by himself, as best as you possibly can, whenever you can. The ultimate success or failure of your goal to save Keitaro and/or anyone else who may have been attacked just like Keitaro was, when he was, will largely, if not entirely, depend on whether or not Cameron somehow actually lives for a long enough time in his own mortal life. If he does, you will ultimately find the required cure in time to use it, if I'm not too mistaken here and now. If he doesn't, then no cure will be found in time, and those attacked like Keitaro was will not be able to be saved, along with Keitaro. That concludes my predictions for his own life at this time, at least, if not permanently, then, everyone." He soon handed Keitaro back Cameron, who soon was placed back in his own crib, quite naturally enough.

"Will he find love?" asked Shinobu.

"Possibly, but God evidently did not confirm this one way or the other as he led us to speak over Cameron here, Shinobu," said Sylvia. "If He had done so, we would have said so, if He wanted or needed us to do just that. It could be that there is now, or eventually will be, at least one true love for him in his life, but if so, we do not yet know of it well enough, for sure. And we may not know for at least some time, if ever, for that matter, come to think of it." With that said, then, both Sylvia and Rolando soon departed Shinobu's tent, as did any number of others, quite naturally enough, in fact.

Eventually, Shinobu and Keitaro were left quite alone again with their brand-new quads, and Shinobu asked, "Senpai, do you think things will be as our friends think they might be for each of our babies?"

"I really do not know, Shinobu-chan. They really seem to think Cameron maybe will be the one who will have to be watched the closest of all for them all, though."

"Did I just give birth not too long ago to someone who would put everyone who's ever attacked you without just cause to shame?"

"I really don't know, Shinobu. I really do hope not, though, of course."

"So do I, my beloved Senpai. May I tell you a secret, just between you and me, though?"

"Of course, Shinobu."

"Promise me that you'll never hate me for what I'm about to tell you, then?"

"I could NEVER hate you, Shinobu."

"Very well, then, Senpai, if you say so, and I really hope you're right, by the way."

"I am, I believe, for I know your heart quite well, if I'm not too mistaken here."

Shinobu studied him quite a bit indeed for several minutes, and saw absolutely no attempts at all by him to deceive her here and now. Eventually, she said, "I have to tell you the truth here, and nothing but the truth here, then."

"And that truth is?"

"When you told us all of your condition in mid-June of this year, I was planning already to avenge the extremely unfair treatment that you had recently been getting from several of the other tenants here. I was planning to even perhaps kill any number of them, if I absolutely had to, in order to protect you from them."

"Let me guess, then, Shinobu. Naru and Motoko were at the very top of your planned 'hit-list'?"

"Yes. They were perhaps each no more than three incidents away from death, if even that. Naru would perhaps even have gotten it after her next unjust assaulting of you, in fact. Or if not, perhaps after the second one from the last one we'd had to deal with by then. I would not have been able to kill her, perhaps, through an obvious attack, of course, but I might have been able to find some other way, just the same. Like perhaps poisoning, of course."

"What about Motoko?"

"Like Naru, there probably would be no real way to kill her easily enough with an obvious attack and still survive well enough. I would probably have had to kill her in some way that she would least expect of me, for all the obvious reasons. She would perhaps have expected me, once Naru was gone, to poison her, I think. So I was thinking that perhaps an innocuous-looking kimono or something similar might then serve my purposes well enough, especially if it had any number of Kaolla's gadgets hidden secretly within it, somehow. Once those were found, the surviving evidence would perhaps point at least partly, if not entirely, to Kaolla, especially if I had first secretly instigated a number of incidents between them both. That might have then taken care of them both. Kaolla would perhaps be forced back completely to Molmol with all her remaining dangerous gadgets and things, of course."

"She is your best friend, Shinobu, is she not?"

"Among girls, yes. But she was still part of the whole matter of extremely unjustified treatment of you, you know. So she would not have been totally exempt from my wrath. It was that very tie between us that would have kept me from killing her. At least directly, anyway. If not indirectly, instead, Senpai."

"Okay, I see. Then that would leave, if I'm not too mistaken, just you, Mutsumi, and Mitsune, at least, still at the Apartments with me, Shinobu. How would you have perhaps removed Mitsune as a future threat, then?"

"Poisoning would perhaps be out. For that would have been Naru's C.O.D., meaning Cause of Death. Motoko's probably would have been either suffocation or strangulation. Kaolla's death, of a sort, would be permanent expulsion not only from the Apartments, but also from all of Japan. As for Mitsune, she would, due to her well-experienced taste for alcohol and her not inconsiderable intelligence, somehow then perhaps have to be killed in some way that did not involve alcohol in any way whatsoever. She'd most likely be able to recognize anything unusual with a particular alcoholic drink, whatever it might be, and be able, somehow, with her brain, to figure out how it got there well enough, I think. While she would perhaps not be able to fight quite as well as Naru and Motoko, she can still be quite dangerous in a fight, if she knows of it well enough beforehand, I think. So I might not have been able to kill her directly, either, then. I would perhaps have had to lay a trap for her that she'd not actually see before it was too late, and get rid of her that way. Especially if I secretly made quite sure indeed that at least a few of Kaolla's notes and things had somehow vanished before her eventual deportation back to Molmol, I think."

"Then once Mitsune was dealt with?"

"Perhaps Sarah would be spared death as well, due to her age and her connection to Seta, at least for a while, if not permanently, Senpai. If she was spared, though, and she acted up too much, I would probably have to get after her just like Naru and Motoko did you. Because the two of us would both be females, of course, she would not be able to claim unfair treatment on gender-based circumstances, you know, Keitaro. And I would then perhaps be allowed to deal with her as I might actually see fit to."

"That leaves Mutsumi, then, Shinobu."

"She would live, for she'd never, to the best of my knowledge, never mistreated you, at least directly, if not also indirectly, up to that time. I would do absolutely nothing to her whatsoever unless or until she did so, either, of this sort of thing, Keitaro. If things ever developed to the point where either of us or both of us were able to perhaps marry you, I might then have been willing to share you with her for at least as long as we three were still alive in this world and this Universe of ours."

"And what of Shirai and Haitani and Haruka and Kanako, then?"

"Shirai and Hatani would live just because they were your friends, just so long as they behaved themselves well enough around me and/or Mutsumi, at least. I would not kill them otherwise, Keitaro, due to my feelings for you. However, if they did, ever, I would then either kill them, or I would then permanently banish them from the Apartments' grounds, depending on the nature or natures of the related offense or offenses."

"But what of Haruka and Kanako?"

"Haruka would live, due to your biological relation to her, most likely. But all her fans and other potential weapons that she might conceivably use against her needlessly would either be destroyed or appropriated by me, somehow, in time, Senpai. As for Kanako, I would first have had to perhaps somehow eliminate Kuro, and then take her down one piece at a time in various ways, if she ever did something that wasn't sufficiently justified and/or appropriate for her to do. While she may indeed not be related by blood to you, of course, the fact is that she is still connected legally to you as a sister of sorts. I probably could not fight her directly either, just like I probably could not do the same with Naru or Motoko, of course. If she had ever been so foolish as to try to seduce you, for instance, I probably would have gone after her as best as I could, a piece at a time, for as long as necessary, if at all possible, until she was no longer any kind of threat whatsoever. Whether it meant I'd have had to kill her or not, I think I would have probably done so, then, Senpai. Brothers and sisters are not supposed to sleep together in that way unless there is no other choice in the matter, you know. Especially if they're blood-related somehow."

"What of Hina, then?"

"Totally immune, for it was she who really allowed me to have a place to live where I definitely could feel at home sufficiently well. Especially whenever my parents were having certain problems with each other. I could never hurt her, the sweetest lady I've ever had the good fortune to know in my whole mortal life."

"So what are you saying, then, Shinobu?"

"It sounds crazy to the maximum, perhaps, but it could very well indeed honestly be the case that when the aliens attacked you, at least, if not also others as well, like they did, their doing so saved several lives, Keitaro."

"Because it then diverted your desire for real vengeance against them into a totally different direct, I take it?"

"Yes, Senpai. I ask you again, then, in essence, 'Do you hate me for having felt that way earlier against Naru, Motoko, and at least one or two others, somehow?'"

"As I said earlier, Shinobu, 'I could NEVER hate you.'"

"Even if it would have turned out that I had actually been responsible for at least three deaths, if not more?"

"Yes. I could NEVER hate you, even then, Shinobu. I might not be very happy that you had done so, of course, but, still, I could NEVER hate you."

"Why, Senpai, would have you NOT hated me, if I'd actually killed your almost-constant tormentors from around here, then?"

"Because you are very important to me, Shinobu. Just as each of the other girls who've ever been my main tenants here before are, in fact."

"Even Naru and Motoko, with all they've ever done to you before without just cause, for example?"

"Yes, even them, Shinobu. Even them."

"You do realize that had you not been so different from most men, you probably would have been killed by them?"

"Yes, of course I do, Shinobu. But, somehow, I survived, and still kept coming back, when most might never have stayed, I think, in such a situation as the one my Grandma somehow forced me into years ago, you know."

"You're too good for us, then, Senpai. We don't deserve you, but we have you, just the same."

"You each deserve someone who loves each of you for who she is, not just because each of you are women, Shinobu. Sylvia and Rolando, along with Chandra and Surya, say every so often, that even if I had never entered one or more of our lives, Someone has loved each of you for all your lives, even when each of you wasn't even born yet. They said that Someone is Jesus Christ, and that each of you have also been loved by God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. And They have loved each of you even though, Sylvia says, we may not yet be of the Light in our respective lives."

"Even when I didn't actually defend you like I probably should have after numerous attacks on your person without just cause, Senpai?"

"Even then, Shinobu. In a way, I guess, then, I suppose it's much for the best that the aliens went after me, at least, like they did, come to think of it," said Keitaro.

"Yes, I suppose so, Senpai. It kept me from becoming a murderer and from perhaps spending the rest of my life in prison when the true natures of each of the various deaths were eventually known well enough. I would never have been able to keep them sufficiently unknown for the rest of my own mortal life, I'm quite sure. The related secrets never would have gone to the grave with me, if I'm not too mistaken here and now."

"What if we ultimately beat them, then, Shinobu, and those of us who were attacked last year like I was are somehow saved? Will things go back to the way they were before that attack or not?"

"If they did, in your case, at least, I would never forgive the guilty party or parties, for sure, as long as I lived. If I possibly could, then, I would make myself understand that quite well somehow, before I eventually departed from her presence well enough. Supposing, of course, that we weren't somehow then joined with each other in one body, you know."

"So what would perhaps happen to you all, if you're able to save me and/or anyone else who was actually attacked like I was?"

"Sailor Pluto thinks that if we're somehow able to actually prevent the original attack from taking place, then we might possibly disappear from history. For this particular timeline, as she put it to us just a little while or so ago, perhaps, might then cease to exist, not too long afterward, as a sufficiently live timeline. But perhaps before it did so, we then could leave assorted messages, somehow, for ourselves so that the true history of the Hinata Apartments and its inhabitants might be quite different indeed from what it might have been like otherwise."

"What if that true history's events ever unfolded in a way that would never allow you and me to be husband and wife, but in a way where one of the others was actually my wife instead of you? Someone like Naru, for example?"

"Senpai, I think that I could somehow accept that, if that was true, just so long as I knew you were just as safe from any potential harm as you possibly could ever then be. True, I might really not like it very much, of course, but I still think that I could, just the same, somehow. I would still love you, though, perhaps, for the rest of my life, even if I was actually meant to be another's mate and wife for the rest of it, if I'm not too mistaken here and now."

They gladly spent at least a little while, if not a long while, longer all alone with just each other and their brand-new quadruplets, then, and Keitaro periodically handed her them as she wanted or needed them in her own current tent, quite naturally enough. Of course, Shinobu took turns in feeding them here and now, for the obvious reasons, when needed and/or desired, before seeing that they were each put to bed in their cribs if and whenever necessary and appropriate, for sure.

Eventually, Shinobu asked for her temporary privacy again, and Keitaro soon completely granted her it, not too long before actually finding another place to go elsewhere on the Apartments' grounds for a while, at least. He walked around those grounds for at least a while, then, and eventually encountered Hotaru, who was currently acting as a surrogate mother for a Senshi ally, in fact. Most specifically, Hotaru was now acting as a surrogate for Shiori's twin brother Satoru, who had donated at least some sperm samples of his own for potential use later, even though she was still currently married to Yahiko Myojin, at the request of her Senshi leader Usagi. At least one or two of the other Senshi on Usagi's team of Senshi and Knights were doing so as well, for that matter, by the way.

Most specifically, Usagi had eventually asked her very own personal team of Senshi and Knights, at least, if not others as well, to actually consider marrying certain other persons and/or becoming surrogate parents to certain other persons' children. A quite great amount of very serious discussion later, in several cases, eventually then led to any number of pairings, as already stated some time before. If not to a lot of them, quite naturally enough. She eventually had left it totally up to her Senshi and/or Knights just who they might each then pair up with, if and whenever possible, for all the obvious reasons here and now, of course. And she also left each of them the definite option to then actually decline her earlier request, if they then each so desired and if they each could possibly somehow decline it, by the way, when she did so.

Ami had married Ryo soon afterward, but had willingly also allowed at least four of her own eggs to be collected for possible later use to produce offspring with certain other males, if and whenever the need or desire for them to be might ever arise, just the same. At the current time, though, she was in the process of carrying twins by Ryo, it seemed, according to her and her fellow doctors, at least.

Usagi was herself carrying not only Chiba-usa, in fact, but perhaps at least one or two others, if not more than that, at present, by her brand-new husband Mamoru. Although she didn't yet know that here well enough, if at all, just the same. She did know, however, that at least Chiba-usa was within her now, somehow.

Rei was now carrying twins by her new husband Yuuichirou, by the way. And she earlier had also eventually contributed several of her own personal eggs for potential later use as well, where and when necessary, possible, and appropriate, in fact. She had no idea just what she was carrying, for sure, at present, for her twins were currently playing hide-and-go-seek of a sort within her own womb, in truth. But she still knew that she was now carrying at least one baby within her, if not more than just one baby, somehow. She might eventually become a surrogate as well for a Senshi ally, come to think of it.

Makoto was now carrying twins by Shinozaki, according to Ami, who'd somehow been able to detect their presences not too long after the middle of October had earlier rolled around well enough, in fact. She was expected to give birth, then, sometime in June, if Ami and her doctors' predictions were sufficiently accurate enough here and now, by the way. She too had also allowed the collection of several of her own eggs for potential future surrogate parentings with other males, after at least some discussion with Shinozaki, of course.

Minako was now in the process of twins-carrying through her husband Kohaku, and Ami and her doctors had actually found them well enough earlier. They were somewhat easy to monitor, unlike Rei's current twins, who were each still trying to remain just as undetectable as they possibly could, if and whenever possible, in fact. She too had donated several of her own eggs for potential future use by those at UBGES, if and whenever necessary, possible, and/or appropriate enough, for that matter.

Haruka Tenoh had actually married Nephlyte, by her own choice, after her Princess had requested her to consider pairing up with someone for the potential good of Uranus, at least, if not for anywhere else in the entire Sol System or for anywhere else in the Universe. She was not yet with child by him, if she'd ever be. But she was still hoping to fully honor her Princess's request to try for children with Uranusian blood in their veins in the near future, just the same, of course. Whether through the usual method or not, in fact.

Michiru Kaioh had married Jadeite, as well, but was still not with any child or children by him, just as far as she then knew well enough in her life. Whether or not that would soon change, she was still hoping to produce potential future heirs to her Neptune-related Senshi powers, eventually, for all of the obvious reasons here and now, at least, of course. No matter how she might then have to go about the business of producing them, so as to honor her Princess's request for them as best as she then could, just the same.

As for Setsuna Meioh, she chose to marry Malachite, and also to have several of her own eggs collected for potential future use if and whenever necessary, possible, desired, and appropriate enough sometime yet in the future. She wasn't yet sure if they might be able to produce children with each other so as to hopefully sufficiently honor Usagi's earlier request. But she still hoped that if anything happened to her, at least, there would eventually be someone else who could actually somehow ever serve as Sailor Pluto or as Pluto Knight in the future, if and whenever necessary and appropriate, of course.

Hotaru saw him first, as she was conversing briefly with Haruka and Nephlyte near where the new male dorm was still in the process of being planned well enough at the current time. At the moment, Haruka, Hotaru, and Nephlyte were watching the stars for a while there, even as they each currently held steaming cups of hot cocoa in their hands that Makoto had just sent out to them from another tent elsewhere on the grounds. And she greeted him somewhat warmly indeed, in fact.

"How are you feeling now, Hotaru?" asked Keitaro, after a while, seeing as she was not currently with either Satoru or her own husband Yahiko at present.

"I'm just fine, Keitaro. It's good to see that Shinobu's babies made it into this world well enough, of course. I trust they are well now?"

"Yes, they're just fine now, it seems. But I really don't think that we've actually ever seen the last of those aliens that we just fought today, you know. At least not yet, anyway, Hotaru."

"No, I don't really happen to think so either, come to think of it, Keitaro," said Hotaru. "If they're anything like many of the numerous beings that we've periodically ever had to fight against in the past, they'll most certainly be back before too much later, no doubt."

"And if they are, you three?"

"Then we most certainly will do all that we can to see that they're stopped sufficiently well, of course," said Nephlyte. "It might not be very easy for any or all of us to actually do so well enough, you know, but we'll all still try, just the same. Especially Usagi and Mamoru, in fact."

"Because they're Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, for instance?" asked Keitaro.

"Not just because of that, but also because they are our future rulers, once they become our King and Queen in the future, if at all possible," said Haruka Tenoh Toyama.

"I see. Well, then, who do you think the rulers of the Hinata Solar System might actually prove to be in the future, if at all possible, Haruka?"

"Perhaps you and one of your long-time tenants, if you're actually able to be saved in time somehow, I think," said Haruka, after at least a few minutes or so of generally silent conversation, by the way.

"And of them, who do you think that co-ruler will be, based on what you know of us so far here, then, you all?"

"I think that it will be Mutsumi," said Nephlyte.

"Naru," said Haruka.

"Shinobu," said Hotaru.

"Oh, my. You three each seem to think that I'd co-rule with different tenants of mine than the other two do here," said Keitaro, after a while.

"As sure as I'm currently serving as a surrogate baby-carrier for Satoru, instead of for my husband Yahiko, I say it is Shinobu who is going to be the Hinata System's co-ruler with you, Keitaro, if there eventually somehow ever is a dual-monarchy system there later on," said Hotaru, most emphatically. "Just like Usagi and Mamoru will eventually come to actually be the Sol System's main rulers in such a system, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"Are you up for a wager on that, Hotaru?" asked Haruka.

"What kind of wager, Haruka?"

"My first following season's winnings against all the lamps then in your possession up to that time, once we finally defeat this enemy of ours sufficiently well, perhaps."

"What makes you think that you'll even have time enough to race, or even be able to race after that happens, if it ever does, Haruka?"

"Call it a feeling, if you will, but I'm going to be racing again, someday, after we beat this particular enemy of ours, I believe, Hotaru."

"And if not, then what would you put up instead of those winnings, perhaps?"

"My sports cars, if at all possible, then, Hotaru."

"They're not guaranteed to survive our conflict, Haruka."

"But if they do, then they might become very valuable, I think. Perhaps on the order of several million dollars, at least, even."

"True, I suppose so, but will there even be anyone around who might want to buy them then, after we deal as needed and as possible against this enemy of ours, Haruka? I really don't know for sure, in fact. Many are most likely going to die, and not live, I think."

Haruka thought about that, and then asked, "Are the proposed terms of my wager sufficiently acceptable to you, then, Hotaru?"

"I'll have to think about it for a while, Haruka."

"Why not give me an answer now, Hotaru?"

"I DON'T WANT TO, HARUKA! DON'T PUSH ME FOR AN ANSWER RIGHT NOW ON THIS!" shouted Hotaru, all of a sudden, as she then rose and shoved Haruka away from her as Haruka tried to calm her down sufficiently well here, for the obvious reasons. She also gave her a very serious look threatening great bodily harm somehow if Haruka tried to bother her for a while, and Haruka, stunned, soon backed off quite considerably indeed here and now, in fact.

Nephlyte and Keitaro watched her storm off here for a few seconds, and then Nephlyte said, "Go find her, Keitaro-san. I'll handle Haruka here sufficiently well, while you do so, in the meantime. I think I can do so well enough for at least a while, by the way."

"Are you sure, Norogumi?"

"Yes, I think I can tame the wild warrior heart within my wife's chest well enough, so to speak, Keitaro."

"Good luck, then, if you believe in it. Believe me, it's not as easy as one might normally think, quite often."

"Oh, yes, your many prior encounters with Motoko, for instance?"

"Yes, Norogumi, that's right."

"But have you ever tamed her? Truly tamed her?"

"Never have I truly tamed her totally. Partly, perhaps, but I doubt I ever will do so totally, someday, and somehow, in the future. And that's just fine with me, Norogumi. Nor have I yet ever done the same with her sister, if I ever will, for that matter. You know what, as well?"

"What?" asked Norogumi.

"I really don't want to totally tame either of them, in fact. I would be killing their personalities and robbing them of their hearts and minds, I think, if I did so. I never want to destroy their uniqueness by ever totally taming either of them, if not both of them, if I can possibly ever avoid it at all, somehow."

"Beautiful words, our Princess would probably say, Keitaro-san," said Haruka. "But can you really avoid doing so, somehow? Even unintentionally, perhaps?"

"Yes, I thoroughly believe that I can. Now I suppose I'd best make sure that Hotaru doesn't get it in her head to destroy something utterly because of your nagging of her just now. If you two will excuse me, then, I will go find her, if I can."

With that then said, Keitaro immediately departed from where Haruka and Norogumi were then still sitting on the grounds with each other here and now. He eventually tracked her down near Motoko's tent, and she soon said, "Sometimes she gets me so mad with her nagging, Keitaro-san. I mean, I'm almost liable to snap sometimes whenever she's near me. She and Michiru, along with Setsuna, even tried to kill me during one of our major conflicts some length of time ago. And not just once or twice, in fact, but even more than that, according to at least a few other Senshi on our team of Sailor Senshi for this very solar system in the Universe."

"Naru and Motoko often tried to do the same for at least the first few years I was here, Hotaru. And as you can see, I always survived." She soon indicated that he should sit himself down for at least a while on a good-sized boulder near them both now. After he did so, she soon did the same as well.

"But you're dying now, it seems," said Hotaru.

"Yes, what they couldn't actually do themselves with me quite well enough, the aliens may very well do with me, soon enough, if I'm not too mistaken here, Hotaru."

"And how do you feel about that?" asked Hotaru, as she then gazed briefly into his eyes here and now.

"Honestly, I really don't want to die, of course. But if I actually ever do, hopefully I will eventually be saved, somehow, and so will everyone else who might have also been attacked like I was last year, Hotaru."

"You do realize that I'm supposedly the Senshi of Death and of Rebirth in this system, if I'm not too mistaken here, right?" She then waved her hand and a few fireflies soon began to hang around her here and now, in fact.

"Yes, I believe I've heard that before at least once, if not more than once."

"So what do you think of me, in that case?" Hotaru then seemed to begin carrying on a silent conversation, somehow, with those fireflies, even as she asked him that question, for that matter.

"I think you're all right. True, you may be a lot like Naru and Motoko in terms of sheer power that you might periodically unleash in one of your attacks, every so often, but I can also tell that you are much like Shinobu, in terms of your heart's true nature, if I'm not too mistaken here, Hotaru."

"I suppose so. Are you surprised, though, that I am not currently carrying my husband's children, but am carrying someone else's instead?" She shot him a very brief look, before then waving the fireflies away from her here all of a sudden.

"Not really. I'm not actually married to Anne, Midori, Kagome, and Sango now, but they all are still carrying my children, just the same, you know." Keitaro pulled his legs up a bit from where they'd been hanging over an edge of the boulder he was now sitting on, and soon brought his knees up to his chest here at least a little bit, if not a lot, as if he was now in at least a bit of a thinking mood here and now.

"And what of those particular children of yours that your surrogate Anne Frank is now carrying or will carry in the future, then, Keitaro?"

"They will be the heirs to the Hinata Senshi and Knight powers, I fully expect, in due time, at least in part, if not entirely, Hotaru. As for the ones that I'm eventually going to be having with the other three, I'm not sure just what powers they might each come to have, if any, right now, if I ever will be."

Hotaru asked, "Is there something now on your mind here, if I might ask you this here and now, Keitaro?" He soon nodded, and then asked, "Why are you carrying the children of someone other than your husband first, instead of his own potential children first, then, if I might ask you this here and now, Hotaru?"

"By mutual agreement between my husband, myself, and the male version of Zoisite, AKA Satoru Muroran, that I'm going to be bearing children by, in time, that's why, Keitaro. I won't marry the male Zoisite, and neither will Ami, but we will both still have children with him, just the same. Ami and I will each carry their test-tube children in time, if at all possible, in fact, just so you know this well enough here and now."

"What about your fellow Senshi, then?" asked Keitaro, at least a little curious, of course, about all the various marriages and/or surrogacies that he wasn't, or wouldn't be, actually responsible for directly among many, if not among all, of his friends and/or associates, at least, if not anyone else as well, for that matter.

"Ami will bear children by both Ryo Urawa and Satoru Muroran. Rei by both Yuuichirou Kumada and Hidetada Kagoshima. Makoto by both Shinozaki Miyake and Norogumi Toyama. Minako by both Kohaku Kumada and Kosho Matsuyama. I will have children by both Yahiko Myojin and Satoru, most likely. Haruka will have children by Norogumi, at least, if not also with anyone else as well, it seems. Michiru will have children by Hidetada, at least, if not also others besides him, if I'm not too mistaken here. And Setsuna may very well have them not only with Kosho, but possibly at least one or two others, if not more, come to think of it, somehow."

"And what of Usagi and Mamoru?"

"There is only one person who she will ever bear children by, if things go sufficiently according to plan for all of us, I believe, Keitaro. And that one person is Mamoru, it seems to me. They are made for each other and just each other more than either of them, if not both of them, may periodically realize well enough to this point in time for their respective mortal lives, just yet."

"What if others try to break them up somehow, Hotaru?"

"They always lose, ultimately, in the very end. That's how things went with Queen Beryl, and any number of our other enemies, in fact."

"I see. And what of those who tried to break them up permanently, then?"

"Beryl was eventually destroyed by the Princess after the Prince and her Inner Senshi were all incapacitated in the final battle between them both. Their next enemies after that were either destroyed or sent back to wherever they'd each actually come from earlier, if I remember sufficiently-related things about them well enough here and now. And their most recent ones who then foolishly tried to break them up were the people behind the Death Busters, AKA the Heart-Snatchers. But Usagi and Mamoru's love still survived, although it wasn't very easy at all for them to do so somehow well enough. In fact, it was Usagi who risked her very own life to save me after I went after the Big Bad Boss of a sort all by myself. If it weren't for her, I most likely would have never survived against them in the final battle against them, Keitaro. She saved my life, without a doubt. I owe her my service, as a result. She even put Haruka and Michiru in their proper places, when they eventually dared to challenge her authority to rule in the future, and lead the entire team in the meantime, for that matter."

"I don't understand," said Keitaro, with a very questioning look towards Hotaru here and now.

"I would perhaps have essentially given both of my lives to ultimately destroy the Big Bad Boss all by myself with my very immense power up to that time in my own life. Not only my life as a Senshi, but also my life as a civilian, most likely. I most likely never would have been able to return somehow if she'd not actually followed after me to try to save me. The two of us ultimately eliminated that foe of ours once and for all, it seems to me right now. I could be wrong about that, of course, but I really don't know if I am, to be totally honest with you here and now, Keitaro."

"Who's the stronger of you two, perhaps, then?"

"I may very well be, but compared to her, I am much less in control, I think, whenever I am fighting in battles, more often than not. Her power normally is much better utilized in battle than mine normally is, Keitaro. She is also much more experienced in battle than I am, which probably makes a real difference quite often during a battle. There's unquestionably a lot she's learned over the last three years that I still have to learn in my own Senshi career. It doesn't hurt too much at all that she has learned to work quite well indeed with her Inner Senshi over that time, either, I think."

"What were the rest of you doing while she was then fighting alongside the Inners, perhaps?"

"We were not yet awakened,. Or at least not for the most part, we weren't. Setsuna has been a Senshi, perhaps, the longest of all of us known Outer Senshi, if I'm not too mistaken here and now."

"Couldn't you have waited to bear Satoru's children, perhaps?"

"Probably, but I wanted to honor my Princess's request to try and produce heirs for Saturn as soon as I could, if at all possible, Keitaro. So I eventually decided, after much discussion with my husband and my potential heirs' future father, to carry those potential heirs first, before carrying my husband's children in time."

"What does Yahiko happen to actually think of this?"

"He really wishes that my first children were actually his, of course. But he still fully accepts my Princess's very substantial authority over me, so he eventually conceded that particular honor to Satoru, for the potential good of my very own world and its own mini-system of sorts, Keitaro. But I will compensate him well enough, if at all possible, someday, by giving him my own personal virginity, after my children with Satoru are all finally born once and for all."

"And after that, then what?"

"Any and all future children of mine then will most likely be just Yahiko's, if I'm not too mistaken, in the future."

"I see. And what if you don't give him as many children as you do Satoru? Will he be upset about that?"

"I really don't know. He may be, or he may not be. It's too early to say, of course. If you don't have more children with Motoko than you might actually have with any of your other wives or any of your surrogates, for example, do you think she would be upset about that, in due time, Keitaro?"

"I see your point. I suppose things would then have to be handled on a case-by-case basis, if I get your drift quite well enough here and now, Hotaru."

"Yes, I believe so, Keitaro. I suppose the others besides Shinobu were upset to at least some degree when they each realized they unfortunately wouldn't get your physical virginity when you married them."

"According to Shinobu, she did say, eventually, that they had each really wished to be the one to actually get it from me well enough, Hotaru, if I remember our first night alone with each other well enough."

"But Shinobu got it, right?"

"Yes, she did, Hotaru. You do not yet know the sheer joys of such a night alone with the one you love in that particular way, but I still have absolutely no doubt at all that you will eventually do so, if at all possible, in the future."

"I really hope so. For my dear Yahiko has actually been planning such a very special night ever since our wedding day, for sure. And nothing at all in this whole Universe will ever stop him from having such a night with me eventually, no matter what it takes for us to actually have it, if he possibly can ever avoid it somehow at all. And I really do want it very much, too, of course, Keitaro."

"I really hope you two get it, Hotaru, for the two of you are very well-matched with each other, I think."

"Yes, I think so. His brashness reminds me a lot of Usagi's brother Shingo and future daughter Chiba-usa, believe it or not. Life with him will most certainly never be all that dull with him near me, I'm quite sure."

"I see. There's just something about those closest to Usagi that draws them out of their shells, so to speak, perhaps, if they're trying to hide often with in them?"

"Yes, Keitaro. According to Rei, Usagi has a personality that others can't possibly ignore sufficiently well for a long enough period of time. Ami was quite often lost in her books, it seems, before she eventually came to Juuban and met Usagi. Usagi showed her that there was more to life than just studying. For Rei, Usagi drew her out of her lonesome shell constructed over time due to the loss of her mother and the usual neglect of her father. For Makoto, Usagi evidently showed her that it wasn't always necessary to fight others to deal with the pain of being an orphan and a girl with many broken hearts. As for Minako, bubbly as she is, and was then, she was still an outsider to their group for a while, until Usagi bonded with her as well, and drew her into her social circles in time. It probably didn't hurt their relationship that they each had cats of their own in their very own lives, I think."

"Okay. That tells me at least a bit about the relationships between the Inner Senshi, not counting Tuxedo Kamen and Chiba-usa, I think. But how did Mamoru and Usagi actually meet for the very first time in this time period, at least, then?"

"Strangely enough, even before Usagi ever became Sailor Moon for the first time in this time period, at least, they met right after Usagi tried to throw a terrible paper from school in a garbage can, according to Luna, who found out about it later, I think. However, Usagi's aim missed the can, and hit Mamoru in the head instead. From that time, they both began to periodically fight verbally with each other, it seems. Eventually, after many battles with the Dark Kingdom, they eventually learned each other's secret combat identities, and somehow they eventually found themselves falling in real true love with each other. They still quite frequently argue and fight with each other, as you've probably noticed quite well by now, Keitaro."

"Yes, I've noticed that. So you think they'll be together for as long as they both still live, then?"

"Yes, very much so, Keitaro. Their love is timeless, and they will never love anyone else in their respective mortal lives, among mortals, other than each other, without a doubt. We all realize that quite well by now, in fact."

"And do you think that you and the others will each have such loves as well in your own respective lives, if you don't already, then, Hotaru?"

"It's hard to say, I believe, at least at present, but I happen to actually think that we will, as well, Keitaro."

"If you don't already have them?"

"Yes, of course, Keitaro."

Eventually, Hotaru said, "Please try to keep Haruka Tenoh Toyama away from me for a while, if at all possible, Keitaro. I really don't want to deal with her any more than I absolutely have to right now. I may eventually accept her proposed wager, come to think of it, if she doesn't badger me about it at all. But I certainly won't right now, for sure."

"I'll see what I can do. But what if you're forced together during another battle, somehow?"

"Then so be it. But whenever we're in our respective civilian states, at least, please try to keep her away from me, just the same, okay, Keitaro?"

"Understood. I'll let my people know of your wishes here, then, of course."

"Thank you. Now I think it's about time that I part from you for the rest of the night, perhaps."

"That's fine, then, Hotaru."

"If anyone needs you, where will you likely be spending the night, then?"

"Probably Shinobu's tent here, for all the obvious reasons, of course."

With that then said, Hotaru soon said, "Good night, Keitaro. I'll see you later, sometime, perhaps."

"Same to you, then, Hotaru, of course." That said, then, Hotaru almost immediately left Keitaro's presence here for the rest of the night, and let him remain where he was all by himself there, for as long as he then wanted to remain there on it. Keitaro remained there for at least another ten or so minutes, before eventually deciding to make the rounds of the grounds for a while, so as to check in briefly with a good-sized number of the other people on them before he retired himself for the rest of it to his desired sleeping area.

No more than about thirty or so minutes after Hotaru's departure from his immediate presence, then, Keitaro entered his wife's tent, and curled up somewhat near her in it, falling asleep not too much later, in fact. And so she, their brand-new quadruplets, and he, along with many others, then each slept for quite a while longer on the current night, for all the obvious reasons, of course, here and now.

* * *

About two weeks later, then, it was Motoko's birthday, and the expected due date of her babies. By this time, three brand-new dorms were in the process of being built, and the infirmary was about 75 percent complete, more or less, due to several other people helping either directly in the building of various things at the Hinata Apartments or by contributing to the building costs or by helping to protect the grounds against potential attacks as best as they each then could. Motoko arose as usual by dawn, so as to perhaps train, but, somehow, her soon-to-be-born children, especially the possibly-future doctor, seemed to say to her, "Mother, you will be doing more than training of a sort today, so put away your usual training gear, and prepare to fight aliens after we are born. They will attack at or around, perhaps, three pm, as we are being born, with much force. Prepare your friends and allies fro their attack. You all have nine hours, perhaps, more or less, we believe, before the attack. I, Darrell, will be first of your children, and Avery will follow me soon afterward. We can't wait to see you, b ut we have to remain here for at least a while longer, it seems, unfortunately."

Motoko soon returned her training gear to its proper place in her tent directly under where her old room was in the destroyed Hinata Apartments, before saying, as if to herself, "Then I would like to know how you both would like me to proceed this day prior to your births, my little samurai and my little healer, if I may."

"Tell our father that they will come with even more force that they did when our half-siblings by him and Shinobu were being born, by a factor of at least twice that, if not more, Mother," said the still-unborn Avery. "The Sol System Senshi and their Knights must defend the Hinata local area. The Rangers and the Ghostwriter Team are to defend the Tokyo area. The Hinata Solar System Senshi and Knights are to stay here, to defend these grounds, along with the Noriyasus. As for our other allies, one-third of them are to assist the Sol Senshi, one-third the Rangers, and one-third the Hinata Senshi, Mother. Casualties will be heavy, perhaps, but many will still survive, just the same."

"What about those with at least dual loyalties, then?"

"Sailor Skyhorse and the Pilgrim are to aid the Sols. Sailor Sudui and Sudui Knight are to aid the Hinatans. All civilians except the Noriyasus are to head for the appropriate shelters by no later than noon, wherever they may then be. Any other potential allies of ours may fight where they may feel the need or desire arise for each of them, however," answered Darrell, also still-unborn, of course, by the way.

"When will you break my water, then, Darrell?" asked Motoko, still in relative silence, for the obvious reasons here and now.

"Twenty minutes, at most, before the soon-to-be-confirmed time of the attack. And at least five minutes, if not more, before that time. Avery is now trying to pin down the precise time of that attack, and once she does, then I can let you all know when it is due to start, I believe. Fight with honor, and redeem your honor even more in battle against your many previous misdeeds to our father. We are both very proud of you for beginning to finally see that our father has only the best interests of those who are the very closest to him in his life, Mother. May your sword sing with the saving of many innocents from needless harm, then. We will gladly be honored to be your children, and we will show sheer nobility can flow still through our veins in the form of now-mixed Aoyama and Urashima blood, as well, no doubt."

"Well, then, you two, what would you have me do now, if I might ask?"

"Go, and tell the others to prepare for battle as we have both advised," said Avery. "Father must also be around you until we are both safely born, and then you two may fight as well. Until we are born, save your strength as much as you can. You will most definitely need it later, in battle, we're quite sure. Ask for the duals to be guards over your tent, until we are safely born. Once we are, you may fight, and the doctors will protect us with their lives, if they must, no doubt. Until we are safely born, do not pick up any weapon, either, for that matter, Mother."

"Not even a small dagger, for example?"

"Not even that sort of thing, for example, Mother," said Darrell.

"I hope you two know what you're talking about here well enough, then."

"So do we, Mother, so do we," said Avery.

"Very well, then, you two. I shall wait to use weapons today, as you request, until after you are both safely born. You had best hope that the others who can fight before that time will be able to survive well enough and take enough of our enemies out well enough, somehow, then, I think."

"Follow our advice, and our enemies will fall much easier than if you don't, Mother. True, we will still lose a number of people, whether they're fighters on our side or civilians, but casualties may not be as heavy if you follow it than they might be if you don't, we think," said Darrell.

"Understood, you two. I shall notify all the other necessary people here, in very short order, of course, then."

"Good," said Avery. "See that you do."

"You have much to learn, young Padawans, about giving your elders orders, I feel."

"We are not Padawans, Mother," said Darrell.

"If the proverbial sandal somehow actually fits well enough, so to speak, I will periodically come to use that term for you, if and whenever I see fit, my children. While we may not actually be somehow able to ever manipulate such a hypothetical energy source as 'the Force,' the idea of students perhaps needing to be trained so as to better handle and control their various abilities, whatever they might be, is still a very good idea to consider and deal with, I think, you two."

"You must have watched a lot of 'Star Wars,' then, Mother," said Avery.

"What do you know of 'Star Wars,' Avery, then?"

"Father was discussing the movie series and several novels with several of the Sol Senshi and their Knights, Mother. That's how we know of it and its related information well enough, in fact," answered Avery.

"What else do you know, then, my children, if you can eventually tell at least me well enough, if not others near us as well?" asked Motoko.

"At least a few of the sentient enough beings from their place and time in the entire Universe will later appear near and/or around here, believe it or not. And several of them will also represent still another solar system, in time, on our side of the conflict against the aliens, for that matter, Mother," said Darrell.

"Anything else you can tell me at this time, then, you two?"

"Not at this time, it seems, Mother," said Darrell. "Now I strongly suggest that you inform all the necessary people and/or animals of the coming attack just as soon as you possibly can, for all the obvious reasons. They will need to be sufficiently prepared for battle before they attack, if at all possible, in order to somehow survive it well enough, ultimately, we believe. Go, and I will let you know just when they will be about to attack by breaking your water as a form of notification. Expect me to also kick several times to let you know how much time still remains prior to the attack's beginning, once I break your water, for that matter."

"How many kicks, then?"

"One kick per minute, if that's all right with you, then, Mother," said Darrell.

"Fair enough. Just please try not to kick too hard, if you don't have to."

"Understood. But if you aren't paying any obvious enough attention to what I'm trying to tell you then, I will begin to get very upset, of course."

"Noted."

"Until then, we will save our words for later, Mother. You will not hear from us again until just before we are both born," said Avery, all of a sudden.

"Understood. Hope to see you soon, then, of course."

With that, the twins went completely silent, and Motoko began to heed all their advice as just given by them while still in her womb. Motoko quickly did whatever she then had to do, based on that advice, and then she found some other things to do while she was awaiting the birth of her new twins. Keitaro stayed reasonably near her at all times, after she'd found him and told him all that she'd needed to tell him, according to their soon-to-be-born twins, in fact. She soon decided to write in a notebook for a while, and add to one of the stories that she'd begun to privately write ever since she and the rest of the usual tenants had found out about Keitaro's current condition well enough. She wrote for several hours, perhaps, before she was suddenly tapped on the shoulder by Keitaro, who soon handed her a cup of tea freshly made by Shinobu during one of her brief times away from Parker, Jordan, Zariah, and Cameron elsewhere on the Apartments' grounds.

Keitaro said, "Here's a cup of your favorite tea, Motoko. Shinobu thought you might want one, at least, if not more than one, before the upcoming battle against the aliens, and before our twins come to us here. She also provided several other things for you, just in case you might want or need them as well, before then."

"Once we're done with the upcoming battle, then, I must thank her, of course."

"If you say so, Motoko. If you say so."

Motoko soon had consumed those things that Shinobu had just provided for her refreshment and/or enjoyment, to quite some degree, in fact. And when they were all sufficiently enough consumed as needed and/or desired, Motoko was quite significantly refreshed and pleased with Shinobu here, as well, for that matter. She soon resolved to fight with great honor and great strength in the upcoming battle, so that as few innocents would be killed as possible in it by the aliens that would be seeking to destroy their home yet again, by the way.

Roughly twenty minutes before the expected attack, then, Darrell broke her water as agreed, and Motoko notified Keitaro immediately of all the required information just as quickly as she then could. With that done, she then prepared for the imminent birth of both her twins by Keitaro, quite naturally enough. She soon retreated to her tent with just Virtuoso, Keitaro, and her doctors, in terms of already-born people, Both Sudui Knight and Sailor Sudui protected one side of the tent, and both Sailor Skyhorse and the Pilgrim protected the other. As for Virtuoso, he would stand guard inside the tent just in case any aliens might try to enter it past one of the duals or the doctors, by the way. While everyone else who was still on the grounds quickly prepared to defend them as needed to the death, if the need for them to do so actually arose, for all the obvious reasons here and now, of course.

The aliens' three-pronged attack began in three places at precisely 2:57 pm Japan time, at the exact instant that Darrell was born, in fact. He wasted as little time as he possibly could in popping completely out of Motoko, so as to hopefully make it possible for Avery to get out of her as well as quickly as she then could do that well enough here and now. As soon as he was sufficiently free of Motoko, then, Avery quickly got into the proper birth position as well, and she was herself born at 3:03 pm Japanese time. Once she was then sufficiently clear of their mother, she and Darrell soon revealed that they had birthmarks that would normally be hidden from view as well, for that matter.

Darrell had two such birthmarks on his person, and both were on the backs of his hands. They both somehow approximately resembled medical symbols of a sort on a mountain-like emblem for a flag of some sort, in fact. The medical symbols were mostly in crimson, white, and black, while the mountain-like emblem was mostly orange and royal blue on a cardinal red and green background. Eventually, though, both of those birthmarks disappeared from view just as suddenly as they each had appeared mere moments before.

As for Avery, her birthmarks were three. One was on her right arm, one on her back, and one on her left arm, in fact. The two on her arms were, in essence, mirror images of each other, perhaps, and the one on her back was somewhat different than the ones on her arms were, so as to be at least a little, if not a lot, like the ones on the back of her twin brother's hands. The ones on her arms each greatly resembled several generally samurai-style weapons on what somehow appeared to be mountain chains of a sort. While the one on her back greatly resembled a good-sized version of the birthmarks on the backs of her brother's hands, except with several crossed swords instead of just one, if not more than one, medical symbol on the related mountain-like emblem for a flag of some sort, by the way. The one on her back took up much, though not quite all, of it, for that matter.

Eventually, both were safely enough born, quite naturally enough, of course. Between them both, then, they soon enveloped their parents in a globe much like the one that Parker, Jordan, Zariah, and Cameron had earlier encapsulated both Keitaro and Shinobu in not long after their own births. That soon caused Motoko and Keitaro to transform into their respective combat states, both with more elaborateness to each of them. Keitaro's didn't get too much more elaborate than it already was, essentially only picking up a few small decorations that hadn't been there after its last enhancement, but Motoko's certainly did get at least a bit more elaborate here, in any case at all. Not too much later, then, the twins finally let her grab several of her weapons, and Keitaro quickly followed her out of her tent just as speedily as he could. Motoko went right to work in dispatching any number of aliens that had dared to threaten her home's grounds yet again, and left none alive needlessly in the process of doing so, if she could possibly ever avoid it at all at the current time, especially if any number of innocent civilians were quite near them as she did so. She protected those innocents to the best of her ability, quite obviously enough.

The aliens were eventually driven away from the areas that they'd been attacking, but casualties were still heavy, as had earlier been predicted by the twins. Many still survived, just the same, though, due to the rather fierce defense of his parents and many others of those areas, in fact. Thousands of people had been killed on the Hinatans' side of the conflict, most of them military personnel, most likely, but many more were killed on the aliens' side of things, by perhaps a factor of at least fifty, if not more, than that.

Ultimately, then, the three-pronged battle ended at sometime around 7 pm in the Tokyo area, around 7:20 in the Hinata local area, and around 9:40 pm on the Hinata Apartments' grounds, more or less. By the time the battle was unquestionably over in all three areas once and for all, then, several of the Senshi and their allies were very tired and very glad to be able to finally stop fighting on the current night, quite naturally enough. Once it was, all the required things were then taken care of as needed, of course. Whether that meant attending to the dead or wounded on both sides or not, all the required things were then taken care of as needed, just as quickly and as safely as they then could be, for all the obvious reasons here and now, in fact.

Eventually, once everything and everyone else that then needed to be dealt with at the current time was dealt with quite well enough, everyone who had somehow managed to survive well enough then began to find other things to do, if and whenever they so chose to do such things. Supposing that they each could then do so, of course. Even Motoko and Keitaro, for example.

Motoko and Keitaro, for example, then returned to her tent, and checked up on her twins, who were quite happy to see their parents return to it sufficiently safe and sound at the current time, of course. Virtuoso was very glad to see them as well, and soon greeted them warmly, in a very wolf-like way, in fact, just in case any people who didn't actually know of his sentience were anywhere sufficiently nearby at the present time.

Not too much later, at Motoko's request, then, Sylvia and Rolando were each admitted to her tent, and they were soon made quite familiar with Motoko and Keitaro's new twins, quite naturally enough. After Sylvia and Rolando had eventually entered Motoko's tent, Sylvia was soon handed Darrell, at Motoko's request, by Keitaro. Sylvia studied him for a while before saying, in time, "This one will be an especially well-trained doctor. While he will not be the one to ultimately discover the most important ingredients for the required cure, he will still play a major part in the creation and/or production of it, just the same, at the very least, if nothing else as well. In his life, he will save many with his medical abilities and skills, and he will only kill other sentient beings if he has no other choice but to do so, in it, most definitely. He will have at least some powers for offensive purposes, just in case he might ever then need them. But he will only use them when and if he ever does not have any other choice available to him at a particular time in his life or in the lives of those close enough to him in it, for sure."

Rolando soon took him, before eventually saying, "His heart will be that of an otter, his mind that of an elephant, and his hands the hands of a spider, in manners of speaking. Many will live, due to him, and not die, for sure."

Then Rolando handed Darrell to Motoko, as Sylvia proceeded to take Avery, in her proper turn, from Keitaro's hands here and now. As Motoko then took Darrell from Rolando's hands here, she also awaited whatever Sylvia might then say about Avery, as did Keitaro, of course. Sylvia eventually said, "This one will be a very strong fighter, yet not quite as strong as Cameron at his strongest, most likely, while he still lives. She will surpass her mother and aunt, and possibly even her father's Grandma Hina, but never Cameron while he still lives, in proven fighting prowess, in time, no doubt. Many martial arts techniques and/or weapons from all over the Universe will not escape her knowledge, no matter what they might ever be, as long as she herself still lives. It will be she who will succeed to her mother's future destiny, in time, as the head of the Aoyama family's training dojo, as well, at the very least, if she somehow manages to survive for a long enough time into the future, for that matter. This concludes my currently-most relevant predictions for her own mortal life, if not my only predictions for it, then."

With those things said, then, Sylvia soon handed Avery to Rolando, who eventually said, "Her life will know one true and possibly lifelong love, at least, but certainly not more than three, in any case. She will bear a squad of warriors, at least, if not a platoon, and all her own future children will be trained in one or more martial arts from the time they are each old enough to wield a weapon of at least one sort well enough, somehow, without a doubt, until such time as those who attacked her father, and possibly others as he had been attacked, earlier have all been dealt with as necessary. She and her children will not rest until those who are responsible for the earlier attack are punished and dealt with as needed, as long as they each still live, for that matter. 'Vendetta,' declare her heart and mind and body, at least, against any or all necessary and possible guilty parties, then. This ends my current predictions related to her, at least, by the way, Keitaro and Motoko." Rolando then handed Avery directly to Motoko, just before taking his girlfriend Sylvia's hand and suddenly exiting Motoko's tent without another word or look towards either Keitaro or Motoko, in fact.

Then a dozen or more others each entered Motoko's tent for at least a few minutes apiece, if they weren't currently in it, for all the obvious reasons here and now, of course. Among them, quite naturally enough, were Kaolla and Koushoku, for example. Motoko soon showed off her and Keitaro's new twins for a while, before eventually asking to be left alone with them both and Keitaro. Some wanted to spend a bit more time currently with the new twins, no doubt, but neither Motoko nor Keitaro was then much in the mood for a great deal of company, seeing as the present time on the night of Wednesday, December 1, 1993, was now somewhat rapidly approaching 11 pm at night. So, then, as a result, everyone else quickly, or at least for the most part, if not entirely, vacated quite well indeed, Motoko's tent here and now. Shinobu was the very last to leave, but before she did, she said, "You did quite well indeed today, both in delivering your new twins and in saving innocent lives, Motoko. There will be at least something extra special for you tomorrow morning, due to the facts that it was your birthday today and that the aliens attacked like they did today, where they did. Keitaro will bring it to you then, for sure. Enjoy yourself, if you so choose, with Keitaro and your beautiful babies, then."

"Thank you, Shinobu. You will see that we are not needlessly disturbed until at least 5:30 in the morning, I hope."

"You can count on it, for sure, Motoko. Will that be all, then?"

"Perhaps so, Shinobu. May I call you, if needed?"

"Of course you can, Motoko. If that is all, I will then leave you alone with him and your new twins."

After Motoko first glanced briefly at Keitaro, and then at Shinobu, she soon nodded that there wasn't anything more that she, at least, needed right now. Shinobu soon looked at Keitaro briefly, just before he said, "Shinobu, some hot cocoa, at least, would be nice, I suppose, for the both of us, if it's not too much to ask of you here and now."

"Of course it's not, my beloved. It would be my honor to bring you such things, you know."

"Thank you, my dear chef," said Keitaro, as Shinobu briefly blushed at least a little bit red just like she'd often been known to do for a good while after Keitaro's original arrival at the Hinata Apartments some considerable length of time before. And yet, for once, at least, Motoko was actually not jealous of Shinobu's getting his thanks in her presence.

Once Shinobu was again sufficiently out of sight again, Motoko said, "Even though she has matured quite considerably in the past several months, it's good that at least some of her still seems to be at least a bit innocent indeed, Keitaro. Six months ago, even, Naru and I would probably have gotten after you for potentially embarrassing her with certain comments like you just made to her here, even if they had appeared to be, or actually were, just innocuous/friendly comments of a sort, you know."

"Yes, I believe you both would have, Motoko."

"And like a turtle, you would have still returned to flummox us, no doubt, just the same."

"You will probably never really like most turtles, if any, very much, will you, Motoko?"

"No, I don't believe I will, Keitaro. I can perhaps, at least tolerate Tama-kun, due to the place he obviously now holds in our family of sorts, and I may possibly do the same with his mate or mates and their offspring, eventually, if I don't already. But I really don't care for them in my life, to be totally honest with you here and now, and I don't think I ever will. Now I, of course, do realize, somehow, that turtles are not necessarily bad, but that doesn't necessarily mean I have to like them, does it?"

"No, of course not, Motoko. Of course it doesn't."

"What if we ever have to deal with certain Turtles from New York that I've begun to hear certain rumors about, Keitaro, then?"

"We'll all deal with them as the need and/or ability for us all then arises, I'm quite sure, Motoko. If they'd be coming and potentially would be interested enough to perhaps be our allies as well, I'm reasonably certain we could find that out somehow well enough. If not, then we'd perhaps have to do whatever we could, whenever we could, to at least make as sure as possible that they'd somehow remain neutral, at most, in the conflict instead of becoming our enemies in it, you know."

"Do you think they might eventually find themselves somehow involved in our conflict, then, Keitaro?"

"I really can't be too sure of that right now, at least, I think, Motoko. Sorry if that bothers you at least a little bit, of course."

"Perhaps a little, at least, of course, Keitaro. But let's not talk any longer about turtles right now, even though I know that I mentioned them first here just now, okay?"

"As you wish, my dear samurai," said Keitaro, as a few cups of cocoa, along with a few other things that Keitaro hadn't just requested here for the two of them directly from Shinobu, then were placed quite unobtrusively at the door of her tent, just inside the nearest tent flap. Motoko saw them first, and had Keitaro pick them up and bring them over to where she was now lying in her tent near his current place in it. He gladly did so, and soon handed her a steaming cup of cocoa and a slice of lattice-topped cherry pie that also had a bit of whipped cream on top of it, for that matter. A few cards were near the plates of cherry pie slices, and so was a chess set, just in case Motoko and Keitaro couldn't get to sleep anytime soon and wanted something else to do until they could do so well enough.

As Keitaro and Motoko then had their cocoa and cherry pie slices, Motoko also examined each of the cards for at least a few seconds each, if not more. Of course, the majority of those cards, if not all, of them were birthday cards that contained text not only in Japanese, but strangely enough also in languages such as English, Hebrew, and Gaelic, to name just a few. While the main languages on each card might not be English or Japanese, at least every so often, text in those two languages was also still present on them, for reasons of easy comprehension by Motoko here, for all the obvious reasons here and now.

Several of the aforementioned cards, in fact, had come from locations near, if not exactly at, the places where Motoko and the other eight travelers had earlier gone on their round-the-world trip with each other. For instance, there were several, at the very least, from the area of Rome, and several from all over Israel, for just two examples of places they'd ultimately gone on it. The ones from Rome generally had text either in Latin or Italian, if not both, while the ones from Israel generally had text in Hebrew.

Besides the United States, Italy, and Israel, then, the nine travelers had also visited, at least in part, if not entirely, Peru, Brazil, Spain, England, Greece, China, and Australia, at the very least, before eventually returning to Japan with each other. They split into two groups for a while between the United States and Rome, and then conglomerated again in Rome after brief times apart from each other in those two sub-groups. Keitaro, Shinobu, Mutsumi, and Kaolla had gone together with each other to Peru. Motoko, Koushoku, Mitsune, Chandra, and Surya had done the same when they each went to Brazil. One group later went to Spain, and then overland to Italy, while the other group eventually went to England. Some length of time later, the two sub-groups merged with each other, and they all stayed together for the rest of their trip around the world. After Italy, they eventually went to Greece, and then to Israel. They spent a while in Israel, before going across Asia to China overland. The nine spent a little while in China, seeing several of the sights there, before heading to Australia and doing the same, just prior to their eventual and inevitable return to Japan. On the way back to Japan from Australia, they had even had brief opportunities to stop in Molmol and Okinawa, where they then did at least a few things in each place. They all eventually returned to Japan on the night of August 31, 1993, and soon saw the earlier destruction of their home by the aliens that Haruka Urashima had earlier mentioned to Keitaro during his long-distance conversation with her between Italy and Japan.

Once they had done so, they all immediately had surveyed the damage done to the grounds, and resolved even more than they'd yet done to avenge the destruction and death wreaked on their home's grounds. Especially the ones that had resided there the longest, even from before Keitaro's original arrival there to be the place's manager, in fact, for all the obvious reasons here and now. Shinobu most especially was quite upset at the loss of her kitchen and she vowed never to forgive the guilty party or parties for the loss of it, no matter what might eventually happen for them all in the future.

After they had heard about what had happened well enough to their home and to its grounds, they then began to discuss possible ways of rebuilding both in time sufficiently well, if and whenever possible, in lieu of each of them not yet seeing the damage first-hand for themselves for some considerable length of time. They would make more substantial decisions, if and when they saw all the previously-rendered damage, for sure, of course.

Ultimately, after they decided to rebuild them both up quite considerably indeed, if at all possible, then, they decided to build not just one dorm on the grounds, but three. One for males. One for females. And one for families.

For the male dorm, Keitaro, Rolando, and several other males began discussing just how it should be, if at all possible, in the future for perhaps at least the next ten to fifteen years, if not longer. As for the female dorm, Keitaro primarily left the planning of it to his former primary tenants at the still-recently-destroyed Hinata Apartments, for all the obvious reasons here and now. While for the family dorm, Keitaro basically consulted mainly, though not entirely, with all the couples that had recently been formed due to marriages or surrogacies, quite naturally enough. Plans were quickly made, and soon the process of rebuilding the grounds began in full earnest on the parts of many people, by the way. Especially in the area of its defenses, most of all, most likely.

Much upgrading of things was already done in the process of rebuilding the grounds, and much more would still have to be done, perhaps, by Motoko's 18th birthday on December 1, 1993. But those who'd generally loved living at the Hinata Apartments felt they could still do a great deal of work in the process of the entire grounds' restoration and/or recovery, just the same, in fact. For instance, Shinobu vowed to somehow make it possible to even have substantial kitchen areas that were each equivalent to a typical four-star restaurant, if not at least a five-star one, on average, in each of the three dorms.

Each dorm would ideally have a minimum of 200 beds in it, typically, if not more, when it was finally completed quite well enough. Most especially the family dorm, for all the obvious reasons here and now. The male dorm would be northwest of the female dorm, southwest of the family dorm, and directly opposite the infirmary elsewhere on the grounds, to the west of the area that Motoko, Kaolla, and Mutsumi had contested for earlier in the center of the entire grounds. And each dorm, along with any other areas at all on them, would generally have at least one method, if not more, of allowing access to an underground system of tunnels and/or caverns to the necessary sentients, if and whenever desired, necessary, and/or possible, by the way, for sure.

The male dorm was outfitted primarily in architectural styles mostly, if not entirely, reminiscent of ether the Americas or classical to medieval Europe, especially like various castles in northern Europe when they tended to have a more European than American look to them in certain areas of that dorm. Some floors were more American-looking, while others were more European-looking.

As for the female dorm, its primary architectural styles seemed much more reminiscent of the Middle East, southern to central Asia, Africa, and Australia. At least for the most part, anyway, they did, with some rare exceptions. They especially favored intricately-designed and well-thought-out rooms and many elaborately ornamented pieces of furniture, for instance, would periodically be ordered and made for those rooms. It would perhaps take at least a while, obviously, to fully fill the appropriate rooms in that dorm well enough, but they were still well-planned out in all possible ways, just the same.

As for the family dorm, it mainly was designed much like the original female dorm had once been, prior to its destruction, though not entirely, for the obvious reasons here and now, of course. While it still might actually have an exterior that was wooden, in truth, it would most definitely NOT be an all-wood, or mostly-wood, dorm just as the original female dorm had once been for many years. Instead, it would contain a lot of materials other than wood, quite obviously enough. Many of them perhaps even at least cutting-edge, if not futuristic, in at least one way, if not more than one, by the way.

And as for the infirmary that would necessarily be present, of course, on the grounds, its planning was fully put in the hands of those who were doctors, medical students and those seriously enough considering careers in medicine, for all the obvious reasons. Its construction was placed as being of the highest available priority in terms of its planning, construction, and/or completion, second only to that of an excellent ground-defense system for the entire grounds, at least, if not an excellent total-defense system for them.

Kaolla, Motoko, and Koushoku, most especially saw to the development and implementation of such a system, at least in part, by the time Motoko's 18th birthday finally arrived for her sufficiently well, in fact. While it was not yet fully developed and implemented by then, it was still getting to be so somewhat quickly. Though not always as quickly as planned for everyone, just the same. Perhaps it might be fully implemented as planned within another six months to a year, hoped many, but they didn't actually yet know if that would somehow even be possible, quite obviously enough.

In the meantime, though, they all would do whatever they could to protect and rebuild the Hinata Apartments' grounds as quickly and as best as they then could, no matter what. Such was now the situation as Keitaro was now with Motoko and both their twins in Motoko's twins, for that matter. As they sipped their cocoa, chatted, and consumed certain other provided things for a while, Darrell and Avery eventually made the fact that they then wanted to be fed quite apparent indeed in very short order.

Motoko eventually said, "I don't suppose we're going to have peace from them until they're both fed, then, Keitaro. So I suppose that I'd best feed them right here and right now, before they possibly wake up anyone else here who might still be sleeping."

"If you say so, Motoko. If you say so."

"I do, Keitaro. I most certainly do," said Motoko, as she set down her cup of cocoa almost immediately after draining the rest of the cocoa in it completely. Then she loosened the front tie to her usual sleepwear at its belt, and threw a large towel over her shoulders, just before opening her current robe, and sitting straight up on her bed here. When she was sufficiently settled in it as she then desired to be, Keitaro then handed her one baby at a time. First Darrell, and then Avery. She put Darrell on her left, and Avery on her right, and then nursed them both for at least ten to fifteen minutes apiece on each side before switching them to the other side for each of them or eventually putting them back in their respective cribs. Avery currently wasn't quite as hungry as Darrell was, so while she was waiting either to switch sides with Darrell or to go back to bed, she periodically played with her mother's hair.

Keitaro soon said, in response to a question Motoko asked him while Darrell was still on the left, "It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful women can truly be often when nursing one or more children at any time just like you're now doing with our twins, Motoko."

"Have you said this to Shinobu before, by any chance, Keitaro?" asked Motoko.

"Not like I just did you, if at all. You're probably the first girl or woman I've said this to, I think."

"However, she can't obviously nurse them all at once, you know, Keitaro. How is she dealing with that fact, then, if you can tell me well enough now?"

"She normally feeds Parker and Zariah together, and Jordan and Cameron together, once those first two are sleeping, if and whenever possible, Motoko. Whenever all four want to be fed at the same time, though, she picks two to nurse directly, randomly, and the other two are placed in one of Kaolla's recent contraptions that can supposedly hold up to a dozen babies at once, according to Kaolla, if configured well enough at a particular time."

"I see. And how do those inside such a contraption normally get fed, in such a case?"

"A bottle with certain sensors is placed in a certain area near where each occupant of the contraption would generally be placed, first. Then all desired occupants are placed in seats within the contraption. Once the occupants are sufficiently enough secured in the thing as needed, certain buttons can be pressed which then lower the milk bottles towards those within the contraption. The sensors monitor each occupant's intake of fluids, among other things, and automatically cut off when their related bottles' contents are totally drained, of course. If bottles then need to be refilled, a certain cell of the contraption soon starts to signal that by certain audio and visual forms of communication, then, as needed, unless otherwise directed by certain people or computer programs, I believe."

Eventually, both twins had felt they'd each nursed for a long enough period of time at present. So Motoko and Keitaro soon put them to bed right after cleaning them up as needed, of course. Once they were confirmed to be quite soundly asleep again here and now, and it was virtually certain that they'd not awake again for at least the next four to six hours, if not even longer than that, then, Motoko and Keitaro dimmed the lights near them both as necessary and as possible. With that done, they then quickly finished whatever else they still had to finish from all the food and drink that Shinobu had earlier provided for them both, before reaching for the provided chess set.

They then spent perhaps at least the next hour or so after consuming the very last of the provided edibles and/or potables in a very challenging game of chess with each other. And they also wound down a lot more from the events of perhaps the last twenty or so hours, more or less, for that matter. Much conversation was also shared between them both as they did so and as they also played chess with each other here and now. Eventually, though, Motoko defeated Keitaro with a series of well-concealed attacks from long-range, at least for the most part, if not entirely. When the game was over, Motoko had a few Pawns, a Rook, a Bishop, and a Knight still on the board with her King against Keitaro's King, one pawn, a Rook, and a Knight. She ultimately won the game by essentially trapping his King on one edge of the board, in fact. The finishing move was a Bishop move, after she had otherwise boxed him in with her remaining Pawns, Knight and Rook, for that matter.

After the game was over, they soon put away the chess set, and prepared for bed, if they hadn't already done so by then. Both were eventually in their desired sleeping areas in her tent by no later than 2:30 in the morning of Thursday, December 2, 1993. Both of them were then quite soundly asleep in each of them by no later than 3:10, in any case at all in it, for sure. And so they each then both slept, not likely to arise again from them for at least the next several hours or so, if they didn't absolutely have to, quite naturally enough.

* * *

The aliens stayed away from the Hinata local area for about another month, until it was time for Midori to bear several children of her own as well. She bore triplets, in fact, on New Year's Day, 1994, when she did so well enough, with two of them being girls and one a boy. They were named, from oldest to youngest, Lucille, Merlin, and Olympia, for that matter. And she was the first of Keitaro's four current surrogates to bear him children here and now. The girls seemed to resemble Keitaro more than they did her, while Merlin seemed to resemble her more than Keitaro. Many thousands of aliens attacked the Apartments' grounds again, but were even more soundly beaten than they had been on the day that Motoko's twins had earlier been born, in truth. After that battle, the aliens stayed away for almost ten days, until January 10, 1994, arrived well enough.

On January 10, 1994, still another one of Keitaro's surrogates bore some children by him. This time, they bore quadruplets. And those quads were each eventually named by their mother Kagome as follows, from oldest to youngest: Cora, Boris, Rowena, and Graham. Cora and Boris resembled Kagome more than they did Keitaro, while Rowena and Graham did the opposite, more or less, for each of them, as just described here. As with all of Keitaro's children that had already been born to this point, they were welcomed into the world amidst even more fighting between any number of aliens and any number of other sentient enough beings, for that matter.

The following day, when Kaolla's children finally were born, went much the same way, for the aliens foolishly attacked yet again anywhere at all in Japan, much to their eventual hurt, later that same day. True, the Terrans took at least some more casualties, if not a lot more casualties, due to the aliens' various major attacks on January 11, 1994, of course. But they still somehow managed to ultimately drive back their alien enemies yet again for at least a little while longer, if not a good while longer, just the same.

After their defeats on January 1, 10, and 11, the aliens suddenly pulled back their various forces yet again, and didn't show themselves again in the Hinata local area, much less anywhere else in Japan, for at least the next month, if not even longer than that. The Hinatans and their allies then spent much, if not all, of the resulting lull in fighting between them and the aliens in continuing to prepare for the aliens' next attempts to capture or kill those who they'd just been targeting quite often in at least the past several months, if not even longer than that, whenever they weren't actually doing anything else at all in their own mortal lives, quite naturally enough.

The aliens resumed their attacks in time to try to eliminate several children born to either Chandra or Surya on February 20, 1994. But, as had generally already been quite the case at certain other similar enough times for those on the Hinatans' side of things, they failed to eliminate either those children or their respective parents, somehow. Chandra eventually delivered two boys and two girls, while Surya then delivered one boy and one girl, on that very same day, in fact. Chandra's brand-new quadruplets by Keitaro were then eventually named, from the very oldest to the very youngest, Kaede, Masakuni, Rikana, and Hagane, with Masakuni and Hagane both being boys, and Kaede and Rikana both being girls. Surya's brand-new twins, in their own proper turn, were then eventually named Bailey and Savannah, with Bailey actually being a boy and Savannah being a girl.

Mitsune delivered next, and she dropped four more children into the mix when she did so, also amidst even more battling against the aliens for the Hinatans and their allies. Her four new quads were then named, from oldest to youngest, Thomas, Lily, Adrian, and Rachel. Mitsune really did a great deal of damage to the aliens' cause once she ultimately became Super Sailor Umaruc, by making it quite significantly more difficult for them to kill those on the Hinatans' side of things for a while, even as her comrades were then battling those aliens by themselves. For she primarily, though not entirely, had healing-related instead of death-related powers, as a Hinata Solar System Senshi, in her particular case here and now. As a result, the aliens's attacks on the day of her own quads' births generally failed quite abysmally as well. And the aliens were driven away from the Hinata local area yet again for at least a little while, if not a long while, before they'd then perhaps be able to attack yet again well enough.

The aliens were then, much to their regret, forced to withdraw yet again, for all of the obvious reasons here and now. Which essentially ensured, in very short order, a relatively quiet March and/or April, at least, for the Hinatans and their allies, from potential alien attacks of sufficient enough force, most likely.

Seeing as that was then the case well enough, most likely, that soon allowed Mutsumi to give birth to Michelle, Gilbert, Jessica, and Joshua in early March 1994. Then Sango eventually added four more kids to the mix in Robin, Laura, Sebastian, and Mira. Sango was soon followed not too much later by Koushoku, who then brought Deborah, Zachary, Heidi, and Winston into the world and Universe as well, in fact. Which soon left just Nyamo, Tsuruko, and Anne to each drop at least one or two more children for Keitaro into the mix, one at a time, most definitely, among his many children's various parents to date.

Nyamo ultimately delivered Ami, Gabriel, Makoto, and Raphael in mid-May 1994, before she was most definitely followed within the next month first by Anne and then by Tsuruko. On her expected due date, which was also strangely enough her own birthday, then, Anne bore, one after another, Edward, Brooke, Jesse, and Cheyenne, one day before Tsuruko's own due date. Tsuruko then dropped Michael, Minako, Uriel, and Rei, herself, one right after the other in that particular order, on June 13,1994. Rei Urashima was the very last of Keitaro's numerous children who would ultimately find themselves born in either 1993 or 1994, in fact.

Meanwhile, often in the midst of combat between the Terrans and the aliens, several Sol System Senshi eventually gave birth as well to any number of other children, for example. Though none of them were evidently Keitaro's children as well, other than Midori's surrogate children by him, perhaps. Among those who did so were Ami Urawa and many, if not all, of the rest of the Inner Senshi, at least, if not any or all of the known Outer Senshi as well.

Usagi, as expected, dropped Chiba-usa on her 18th birthday, June 30, 1994, but she also dropped two other girls then as well, which she and Mamoru ultimately named Monica and Unity. Ami and Ryo ultimately had twin girls, and their names were Minerva and Athena, both born on March 10, 1994. Rei and Yuuichirou themselves actually had fraternal twins on Rei's own 18th birthday of April 17, 1994, and those two were a boy named Chad and a girl named Magdalena. Minako and Kohaku were the next to have kids among the Sol System Inner Senshi, and they ended up with twin boys born five days after Chad and Magdalena were themselves born to Rei and Yuuichirou, most specifically Cupid and Wiley. Finally, Makoto and Shinozaki got into the act of becoming parents to actually-born children, and Makoto, quite strangely enough, somehow continued the routine of dropping at least twins, when she then bore Patrick and Chloe to Shinozaki in early June 1994, three or so weeks before Usagi's unexpected triplets were eventually born to her and Mamoru.

Several of them eventually decided to carry even more children not long after giving birth to their first children, for that matter. At least some of them did so in order to hopefully be able to provide heirs for several planets and/or moons in the Hinata Solar System, in fact. Among those who decided to do so well enough, if at all possible, then, were Shinobu, who ultimately chose to allow two of her own eggs to be fertilized through in-vitro fertilization by sperm from Shingo, for instance. And they were eventually implanted in her by the time that Kaolla had finally given birth to triplets by Keitaro in mid-January 1994, at the very latest, by the way.

Two of Mutsumi's eggs were fertilized in the same way by sperm from Almanzo, for the potential benefit of Milau in the Hinata Solar System, seeing as Mutsumi represented that world in it as Sailor Milau and Almanzo did the same as Milau Knight. She had them implanted in her by no later than mid-April 1994, in any case at all, for sure.

Kaolla was implanted with two of her own eggs that had been fertilized artificially by sperm from Steve Urkel, not long after having given birth to her first three children by Keitaro. This was for the hopeful future appearance of heirs for Izemu in that system, quite naturally enough, of course. She would hopefully provide at least one heir for Izemu, then, if not more.

Motoko waited until sometime around the middle of June 1994, before she then decided to try to ensure heirs for Ozom in it as well. When she did so, four of her already-donated eggs were soon fertilized by sperm from David ben Jesse, AKA Ozom Knight, and implanted inside her not too long after that, of course. She would then carry them as the need arose for as long as she possibly could do so, of course.

Koushoku waited for just a little while, at most, after giving birth to four children by Keitaro, before she then decided to try to do her part to see that Farujei might also perhaps have potential heirs of its own as well. She then ultimately decided to allow any number of her already-donated eggs to be fertilized by sperm from Lancelot du Lac, AKA Farujei Knight, quite naturally enough, of course. Once that was done well enough, some of her eggs were eventually implanted within her womb here, and she then began to carry them as well, of course.

As for Mitsune, she waited for a good while longer, or would wait, perhaps, before she'd eventually decide to try to do her part as well to see that Umaruc would also have potential heirs of its own. While she still waited to do so, after giving birth to four other children earlier that year to Keitaro as well, she also then began to consider potentially suitable candidates as parents for any possible children that might result from any number of eggs being fertilized eventually by some of their sperm. She ultimately decided that at least for her next four children, to carry two more children by Keitaro and two others by Kenshin Himura, AKA Umaruc Knight. Not only that, but she would carry them all simultaneously, with the two that would be born to Keitaro due two days after those that would be born to Kenshin, in fact.

Chandra and Surya both actually decided not to bear any more children for at least a little while, if not a long while. Especially Surya, within a very short time after giving birth to a total of six children to their common husband Keitaro, in fact. But Chandra would decide to carry more children by Keitaro sooner than Surya would, just the same, for sure.

Anne soon agreed to more potential children by Keitaro, not long after giving birth to her first four by him, hoping to further strengthen the bloodlines of the Hinatans from the system's star, in fact. She soon was implanted with three additional eggs fertilized by more of Keitaro's sperm, and began carrying the resulting babies quite willingly as well, quite naturally enough.

Midori passed for a while on carrying any more children by Keitaro, but still did not discount the chance that she might eventually choose to do so again in the future, if at all possible, just the same. Instead of carrying more children by Keitaro, she then decided to finally consummate her marriage vows with her husband Gurio, and was soon rewarded with the knowledge that she'd next be carrying twins by him.

Kagome and Sango agreed to allow some of their eggs to be fertilized by Ginkuro Akai and Tenchi Masaki, AKA Jeroru Knight and Okrez Knight, respectively. In the case of Kagome, her next children would come from Ginkuro, and in the case of Sango, from Tenchi, then. Two eggs were soon enough implanted as needed in Kagome's womb, and four others were implanted as needed in Sango's, as well, when they then felt at least enough time had passed for each of them since they had both earlier given birth to four of Keitaro's children apiece in early 1994.

As for Nyamo, she herself decided to wait on having any more children in her own life for at least a few more years, seeing as she had no pressing need, evidently to try to provide any stars, planets, and/or moons, at least, any heirs at present, if she ever would. She might eventually decide to have more children later on in it, but not at present, if she didn't absolutely have to for any reason whatsoever, in fact.

On Tsuruko's part, then, she eventually chose to wait at least one year before bearing any more children, if she possibly could. If not even longer than that, for that matter. While she waited, then, she gladly began to raise her own four children with Keitaro here as best as she then could, of course.

Alex Mack married Arthur Pendragon, AKA Domael Knight, in fact, on the same day that Mutsumi actually gave birth to four more of Keitaro's children, by prior arrangement. And absolutely nothing and nobody hostile at all somehow actually prevented the wedding or the four aforementioned births from eventually happening in peaceful enough circumstances then. Alex and Arthur were soon quite gladdened after finding out not too much later that they were both due to have quadruplets later on. And not only that, but that they were all quite strongly expected to be born on Christmas Day 1994, as well.

Laura Ingalls eventually allowed four of her eggs to ultimately be fertilized artificially by some sperm from Kevin Arnold, for the purpose of hopefully providing at least one or two future heirs for Teyeu in the Hinata Solar System, after much consideration and much discussion between her, her husband Almanzo, and her world's Knight Kevin. And those eggs were eventually implanted in her not too long after she did so. She very much wished, quite naturally enough, that all her future children would have actually come from Almanzo, of course. But due to the simple fact that she and her husband Almanzo of several months, if not at least a year, unfortunately didn't share a common world, apparently, powers-wise, at least, she still had to accept that wouldn't actually be possible for her here at all. So she eventually allowed four of her eggs to be fertilized by sperm from Kevin Arnold, for all the obvious reasons here and now. And so she then began carrying them as needed, just the same.

As for Kevin's very own wife Gwendolyn, AKA Sailor Boja, she was in a similar predicament as several other people were. She also did not share a common world, at least power-wise, with her husband, but did with Heiji Hattori, AKA Boja Knight, as they both currently represented the world of Boja for the Hinata Solar System, in truth. So she also had to have certain important discussions about certain matters, and ultimately decided, with her husband's consent and that of Heiji's wife Kazuha, to carry at least one or two potential heirs, if not more, for Boja's purposes, if at all possible. Gwendolyn soon allowed two of her eggs to be fertilized by some sperm from Heiji, in the hopes that they would somehow actually provide the necessary heirs for Boja in the near future. By that time, then, Heiji and Kazuha had already experienced the actual births of two twins for themselves as well, in fact, on June 10, 1994.

While that all was still happening, Topanga Lawrence and Cory Matthews continued to further deepen their relationship with each other, but didn't yet decide to have children with each other or anyone else at all in the near future. They still remained girlfriend and boyfriend to each other, but didn't deepen their relationship to the point of imminent marriage for themselves just yet. They did eventually agree to get engaged to each other, but that still didn't happen at least until Haruka Noriyasu ultimately gave birth to four children of her own by her husband Seta the day after Usagi had finally dropped Chiba-usa, Monica, and Unity, in fact, if not even longer than that. Cory ultimately proposed to Topanga on July 4, 1994, and they eventually set a wedding date for the following February.

Exactly three weeks after Cory's proposal of marriage to Topanga, Ran Mouri Kudo eventually gave birth to twins by her husband of several months, at least, one Shinichi Kudo. Not only were they married to each other, but they also represented the same planet in the Hinata Solar System, for that matter. In their particular case, they both actually represented its world of Ersumu at the present time in it. Which then quite obviously enough meant any of their common children with each other would logically be considered as potential heirs for it in the future, of course.

Before Ran did so, though, Ayame and Kouga had triplets of their own. Two boys and a girl, in fact. Which pleased many then who were actually on the grounds of the Hinata Apartments, of course, in very short order, if not immediately.

Not long after that, Ayeka Jurai and Solomon ben David, AKA Sailor Dudoru and Dudoru Knight, respectively, found that they were then both expecting twins through artificial means, and that they should perhaps be prepared to have those twins on or around New Year's Day 1995, for that matter. While Ayeka was still dating Tenchi, she still unfortunately did not share a common world with him, power-wise, at least, so it would probably not be the case for both of them that they'd each have all their children with each other, for all the obvious reasons here and now, at least. They might have both wished it, but their respective worlds of power, unfortunately, would require, most likely, that they have children with certain others, so as to provide potential heirs to their respective aforementioned worlds, just the same. While Ayeka and Solomon would need to provide potential heirs, then, for Dudoru, Sango, as already stated, would have to try to provide heirs for Okrez with Tenchi, through eggs of hers fertilized with some of Tenchi's own sperm, of course.

As for Laura Winslow and Sherlock Holmes, although Laura was still married to Steve Urkel at the time, they ultimately chose, after much discussion indeed, on the parts of many, to try to provide at least one or two, if not more than one or two, heirs for Agaz through completely artificial means, with each other. Especially since Steve was then trying to do the same kind of thing with Kaolla, for similar enough, if not the exact same, reasons, as it currently pertained to the Hinata Solar System's planet of Izemu here and now. Four of Laura's eggs were soon fertilized with some sperm from Sherlock, but only two were then implanted in her womb, by her choice, not very long after then, for she, Sherlock, and Steve mutually agreed to save the other two now-fertilized eggs for at least one potential later gestational period, if not more than one. The last two would hopefully be able to be implanted in her womb at some later date, of course.

By the end of August 1994, then, at least fifty to 100 babies had most likely been born on or around the grounds of the Hinata Apartments, if not anywhere else as well among those who'd conceived in either of the methods, if not both methods, that human beings could be conceived well enough in at present. Many more were likely to be born to any number of couples, whether or not they were born on or around the grounds of the Apartments, then, of course. Including, quite obviously enough, any number of babies for any of the Hinatan or Juubanite couples, for sure.

Hotaru delivered the children she'd eventually decided to carry for the potential benefit of Saturn on July 16, 1994, 39 days after Setsuna had delivered twins by her husband Kosho, by the male version of Zoisite. And 27 days after the female version of Zoisite had also delivered twins by Kosho, by the way. Those children were six in number, with there being three boys and three girls among them all. The oldest of those children was a girl named Asuka, and she was followed, one after the other, by Shinji, Anastasia, Hannah, Elijah, and Philemon, for that matter. With six new potential heirs for Saturn, that most likely would then perhaps actually allow Hotaru the ability not to be all that concerned about potential succession issues to the throne of Saturn sometime yet in the future, of course. At least as long as nothing sufficiently bad happened to any or all of them in the meantime, anyway, for sure. Seeing as that was evidently now very much the case here, Hotaru and her husband Yahiko soon finally consummated their still-recent marriage to each other. Not long after they did so, they soon learned that they would quite unexpectedly have twins of their own with each other, most likely on or around her own 18th birthday on January 6, 1995.

Haruka, AKA Sailor Uranus, eventually gave birth to twins for her husband Norogumi eleven days after Hotaru had delivered six children by Satoru Muroran, and just nine days before her most frequent Senshi partner Michiru, AKA Sailor Neptune, brought forth twins of her own by her own husband Hidetada. Haruka's twins were both girls, and they were called Victoria and Gertrude, in fact. Victoria resembled her mother more than her father, while Gertrude did the opposite. At least in terms of how they each then looked when they were each born, anyway.

Michiru and Hidetada had started out their family with a girl and a boy, with the girl twin being the older of the two here and now. Their two brand-new twins were soon named Parthenope and Ezekiel, in fact. They both had their mother's eyes and nose, while also having ears more like those of their father, at least. Their respective looks were not particularly unpleasant, at least for the most part, if not entirely, as well.

As for Setsuna, AKA Sailor Pluto, she had eventually borne to Kosho Matsuyama, AKA Malachite, who she actually now shared with Shiori, AKA the female version of Zoisite, two fraternal boy twins by the names of Malachi and Amos. Where Malachi's hair was quite light, in terms of its basic color, and nearly white in its appearance, Amos's was quite dark, and nearly dark green, in color. Both twins were ultimately born within mere hours of each other on June 7, 1994, in fact, with Malachi being the older of the two brand-new twins, and resembling his father considerably more than his mother, unlike Amos, who resembled his mother considerably more than his father, by the way. Their respective personalities at birth were each somewhere between those of their parents, of course, for all of the then-obvious reasons. Those twins would perhaps be the first of several potential heirs for Pluto in the Sol System of the Milky Way Galaxy, if not the only ones for it in the near future, by the way.

Shiori and Setsuna had both married Kosho on the very same day, by mutual choice on the part of all three of them at the time of their marriage to him on October 6, 1993. They had eventually found out that they would both be having children by him, quite naturally enough. Setsuna herself had married him in the fervent hopes of actually being able to ensure that the proper ruling bloodline of Pluto would somehow be preserved well enough, per her very own Princess's earlier request. While Shiori had married him because she truly loved him, as far as anyone else near her in her own mortal life then knew quite well enough, by the way. Where Setsuna bore Kosho, their common husband, Malachi and Amos, Shiori then bore him twins by the names of Valentina and Hayate, with Valentina being the older of the two twins here and now.

And the aliens were still staying away for quite a good long while, which eventually allowed those who were now periodically resident on the Hinata Apartments' grounds the ability to continue either pairing up, if they hadn't already, or continue with the business of producing any number of potential future fighters or doctors, at least, if not anything else at all. While they were still not having to deal with any aliens, then, even more of the grounds were being rebuilt to at least some degree, every so often, quite naturally enough. The required guard towers, walls, and gates for the grounds were completed first, of course. And then the infirmary was, to the order of 10 floors and 600 beds, at the very least. Then the female dorm was, in very short order, after August 1994 had come and gone well enough. The male dorm took a bit longer to do, but it was completely finished by the time that the first potential heirs for Leyua were born to Shinobu Maehara Urashima and Shingo Tsukino after earlier being conceived artificially sometime around the end of January 1994, more or less, which happened on September 30, 1994.

Shinobu and Shingo had then produced, through artificial means, two girls named Hina and Destiny. Hina resembled Shinobu more, while Destiny resembled Shingo more. At least in outward appearance, anyway. It was not yet certain if they would both eventually produce even more potential heirs for Leyua in the future, but they didn't discount that possibility from ever perhaps happening, either.

Not long after Hina and Destiny Leyua were born on September 30, 1994, for they each were then given the last name of Leyua, several other potential heirs for various worlds or the star of the Hinata Solar System were soon born as well. On October 6, 1994, Kaolla gave birth to Wilbur and Orville Izemu by Steve Urkel, while Mutsumi bore Calypso and Ulysses Milau through eventual artificial insemination by Almanzo Wilder's sperm. Twenty days after Kaolla and Mutsumi had therefore each dropped twins by their respective sperm donors, then, Midori and Gurio finally were able to have twins of their own, on October 26, 1994. Most specifically ones named Timothy and Molly, who were also surnamed Sudui-Umino, by the way, Timothy more resembled Gurio than Midori, while Molly did the same for Midori instead of Gurio.

November 1994 brought no more births, at least, but it did bring more happy news in the form of confirmed gestations for at least a few couples, whether those couples' members were already married to each other or had conceived new potential offspring through artificial means. And so November came and went, still with no obvious trouble from the aliens at the current time.

December 1994 soon arrived, and the family dorm was then about 42 percent completed by that time, when it did. It was only after December 1994 arrived, then, when Mitsune and any number of others were somehow actually able to get any inklings of any kind whatsoever of what the aliens had been up to since the last time they'd fought the Hinatans and their various allies around the time of Mitsune's birthing of Thomas, Lily, Adrian, and Rachel, in fact. As they eventually were somehow able to gather, the aliens' attentions had been drawn away by certain other matters of at least minor importance to themselves, at least, but which might also somehow affect their chances of success against those who they had most recently sought to capture or eliminate of late here. So the aliens had suddenly pulled back from the Hinatans in order to try to deal with those other matters as quickly as they could, in the hopes that they could deal with them well enough to be able to get back to their main targets of late as soon as they possibly could get back to them.

After Mitsune, Mutsumi, Haruka Noriyasu, and their network of spies eventually learned those things well enough, somehow, there was obviously a very important conference of sorts then held in the female dorm, with the full consent of Keitaro's wives, with a fairly good-sized number of attendees for it. Mitsune, Mutsumi, and Haruka soon briefed everyone on the things that they and/or their network of spies had learned about the aliens' most recent activities since they'd most recently pulled back from Earth, of course.

During this particular conversation, Keitaro eventually said, "Many of the women are with child at present, if I'm not too mistaken here and now. They are not likely going to be able to go after those aliens anytime soon, I think. Many children still need their parents around them as well. We need options, and the sooner we have them, the better for all concerned parties on our side of things here and now, of course."

"Would it help if we had more available Senshi and/or Knights, at least, then, perhaps?" asked Mamoru, in very short order.

"Of course it might, Mamoru-san. Of course it might. But do we have any other people around here, either full-time or part-time, who might be able and willing to help as much as possible in the near future? I really don't know for sure, to be totally honest here with you."

"I believe there are some such people who might be able and willing to help, whether they're older or younger people, come to think of it, Keitaro-san," said Setsuna, all of a sudden, somewhere along one wall of the female dorm's living room of a sort. She soon said, "Word has it that several other sentient beings may have each been thrown somehow out of their respective time periods and/or timelines into this time period and timeline, it seems to me. If we can actually find and perhaps recruit them to help us out before our mutual enemies do the same, then perhaps we all will have such beings available for us to utilize later who could somehow provide us all the options that we may all currently need here as well."

"Where did you learn this, Setsuna-san?" asked Shinobu Maehara Urashima.

"I have various contacts in various places all over the world, in fact, especially in the fashion world, believe it or not. Also, as you may very well know by now, at least, I actually learn certain things from time to time while then fulfilling my duties as Sailor Pluto, the Sol System Senshi of Time, of course, Shinobu-san. While I'm not always able to follow things in that particular nature of things, for various reasons, my primary Realm of Influence, if not my only one, as a Senshi is still Time, just the same."

"I see. And just when do you think they might return to attack us here again, then, Setsuna-san?"

"I would expect that it will be soon, but just not yet. I can't pinpoint an exact time, at least not at present, unfortunately, but I would still expect that they might possibly return, somehow, or around either Christmas 1994 or New Year's Day 1995, more or less, Shinobu-san."

"Why, if I might ask?" asked Shinobu.

"Call it a hunch of mine, if you will, perhaps, but I happen to think that they very well might return in considerable force around that time, if not at that exact time, somehow, Shinobu-san."

"Well, if they do, they'd best be prepared to be taken down yet again, Setsuna-san," said Koushoku, a few minutes later. "We're getting even stronger as time goes on, I think, for our defensive systems are being considerably enhanced even more as more time passes for us all."

"But can they perhaps defend well enough against potential electromagnetic pulses of some sort, for instance, if our enemies tried to use them against us, somehow, Koushoku-san? I really am not sure, to be totally truthful with you all here and now. Much of your defensive plans seem to not guard all that well against such a potential tactic at present, if I'm not too mistaken here. Those with electrically-based powers could potentially be rendered unable to fight, you know, if our enemies tried to weaken our defenses here with such tactics, in fact."

"I never build anything, if I can possibly ever avoid it, that can run only on electricity, Setsuna-san," said Kaolla, not too much later. "I always try to have a back-up power system, somehow, in such things, even if it requires that I provide the required power all by myself, in truth, in at least one form. As for the various defensive systems here, their powering components are very well protected, I believe, from any potential tactics as you just mentioned here to us all, at the very least. I could be wrong about that, of course, to at least some, if not to at least a considerable, degree, but I really don't think that I am, to be totally honest here with you."

"From what we've learned about the aliens, it seems that they've been going after several kinds of sentient beings in at least one other solar system, if not more than one, besides this one since they were all last here with quite considerable force. And those other beings don't really seem to be doing all that well against them at the current time, in fact, if our information is sufficiently accurate here, it seems. Maybe we should all try to somehow help those that our enemies are currently going after, then, if at all possible," said Mutsumi.

"But many of us have recently given birth to several children of late, within the last twelve or so months, more or less, you know, Mutsumi-san. For instance, you've already dropped six babies since your birthday earlier this year," said Usagi. "If I were your leader, that would certainly be grounds for temporary baby duties, if at all possible, for sure."

"That might be so, but what of Hotaru? She's already dropped that many, and two more are likely due within the next month or so, believe it or not, Usagi-san," said Mutsumi.

"True, Mutsumi, but still, it probably isn't a good thing for girls or women to carry so many babies in such a short period of time, most likely."

"Point taken, Usagi-san. But you must admit that we're not exactly in a situation where we can afford not to bear them for a while, right?"

"I suppose that if Keitaro hadn't been attacked like he was, this kind of situation never would have resulted, most likely, then?"

"Yes, I believe you're quite right, Usagi. But he was, and so we're all dealing with the sufficiently-related facts of the matter as best as we currently can, just the same. It's quite unusual, no doubt, but still quite necessary here and now, it seems. For we really don't want to all lose him permanently for the rest of our lives if we can possibly ever avoid it at all somehow. We will most certainly go to any and all possible lengths in order to save him that we ever possibly can, no matter what, due to all the things that he's done for us in our lives since he first came here to the Apartments to be its main manager. And if anyone at all tries to stop us, that's a very good way for them to make enemies of us all, no doubt," said Mutsumi.

"So how might we possibly aid those that our enemies are currently fighting, then?" asked Rei Kumada, in very short order.

"Perhaps we could send our male fighters to aid those who the aliens are fighting against at the present time," said Nyamo.

"But they're not generally as strong in terms of power strengths, perhaps, as we Senshi are, we generally think, Nyamo," said Ami Urawa. "We'd have to send at least a few Senshi with them, most likely, to perhaps better their chances of survival at least a little bit, if not a lot."

Sylvia thought for about fifteen or so minutes, more or less, here and now in relative silence, after requesting it from everyone else at the conference currently. She eventually said, "Send me and those I designate to that solar system or those solar systems, and we'll see what we can do to help them. While we are away, the Rangers should remain here, just in case those who Sailor Pluto thought might appear actually do so well enough, somehow."

Keitaro said, "You are proposing to take several of our people here to an unknown system for a certain length of time, with no guarantee of returning sufficiently well with any or all of them, I take it, Sylvia."

"That's right, Keitaro. Are you people not familiar with the saying, 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend,' by any chance at all, perhaps?"

"I'm familiar with it. What's your point, then, Sylvia?"

"Perhaps those who are now fighting our enemies may have gained at least some, if not a lot of, quite useful information about our enemies that might prove quite beneficial to us against them in the future, even if their society is eventually doomed to be conquered or destroyed, at least to some degree, if not totally, by our mutual enemies. And perhaps we might even be able to pick up some allies as well from those beings that our enemies are now attacking, for that matter, Keitaro," said Sylvia.

Haruka Noriyasu asked, "How soon would you recommend we try to send those reinforcements, then, if at all possible, Sylvia?"

"Well, I'd send them as soon as possible, once we knew where to send them well enough, I think. The sooner we can go there, the sooner we might be able to get back well enough, perhaps. I would probably send a party of no more than ten to twenty individuals, and certainly no more than two dozen, in any case, though, for the obvious reasons, Haruka-san," answered Sylvia.

"That's not very many, Sylvia. Are you sure that you can handle whatever enemies you might face there with such a small party of companions, against potentially very extreme odds?" asked Haruka Toyama.

"With God's help, I'm sure we'll do well enough, somehow. I mean, 'with God, all things are possible,' according to Jesus, in Matthew 19:26. So if it truly would be His will that we somehow would survive this potential mission well enough, then the Father will bring us back here well enough as He might see fit, I'm sure, everyone."

Everyone considered that for a while, at least, before Mamoru said, "You undoubtedly will take Rolando with you, for sure. But the two of you can't take on all our enemies alone, you know, even if you do have supernatural help like you just suggested here, I think."

"No, of course I'll need more help than that, Mamoru. I have plenty of contacts in various places all over the world, but it may still take them a while to get here, if I were actually to summon them to here and they weren't already here, most likely, you know."

"How would you select them, then, perhaps, Sylvia?" asked Mitsune.

"I'd let God select them, and then go from there as needed and as appropriate, Mitsune. That's how it should be, I feel, with a potential mission of such importance as this one."

"Why should we let you two lead the proposed team here, then, Sylvia?" asked Usagi.

"Because we have no children to raise or immediate needs to marry at this time, Usagi. Unlike most, if not all, of the rest of you. We need very specific people who are sufficiently unencumbered with such details in their lives for this proposed mission here, it seems to me,"said Sylvia.

"But you and Rolando are dating each other, are you not?" asked Tsuruko.

"Yes, that is so. But he is my best combat partner in battle, among mortals, it seems to me. I would trust him with my very own mortal life, and he would do the same for me. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, we probably have each done just that at least once or twice apiece, if not more, for each other, in various situations we've ever found ourselves in, Tsuruko. We are meant for each other, just as Shinobu was meant for Keitaro, and vice versa."

"But we're married to him as well," said Koushoku.

"True enough, Koushoku. But his heart was truly meant most for Shinobu, and vice versa, I think. For while you were still whaling on him often without cause, can you ever actually think of a particular time where she deliberately hurt him like most of the rest of you often did?"

Koushoku replied almost immediately, "No, I don't suppose I can. But that doesn't mean he was truly meant for her, Sylvia. Or for Mutsumi, for that matter."

"Mutsumi and Shinobu never jumped him like you other four did, Koushoku. Granted, she and Shinobu may have at least indirectly brought unjustified pain to Keitaro, but never by their voluntary choices in the matters related sufficiently to the incidents that four of you often got after him for, I believe. And who was the one who always tried to attend to his injuries after an especially-undeserved beating from any or all of you, if and whenever she possibly ever could do so well enough, by the way?"

"Shinobu was, perhaps at least 500 to a thousand times, if not more," admitted Koushoku, with at least some quite obvious reluctance here, quite naturally enough.

"For someone who may indeed be the girl who Keitaro made his promise to attend Toudai with when he was still just a kid, does that actually seem very fair to you, Koushoku?" asked Sylvia.

"No, I suppose not. Your point is?" asked Koushoku.

"If I were him, and I knew you were the promise girl I'd been hoping to attend Toudai with, and one of my habitually frequent assailants without sufficient just cause, I would probably evict you from the dorm as soon as I knew that well enough somehow, after just one more warning. If you then EVER attacked me again without sufficient cause, you would perhaps either be banished permanently from the dorm and its entire grounds, or terminated, if at all possible and necessary. But, as you can quite obviously see quite well, I'm not him."

"And the matter of the promise girl?" asked Motoko.

"It would be forgotten as quickly as possible, if at all possible, and never regarded again, most likely, once it was. All ties to such a potential promise girl would then be broken, if at all possible, never to be repaired again for the rest of all the necessary lives, for that matter."

"And what of her fellow tenants?" asked Keitaro.

"Those who aided her sufficiently well in her attacks would probably have to hope that they wouldn't either be evicted or worse, most likely, if I were him. Especially a very specific samurai."

"Point taken, Sylvia," said Motoko, after a while. "But since the time that I learned of his condition, I have not attacked him unjustly and unnecessarily as I had often done before."

"I am not your judge, jury, or executioner, Motoko. But if I had been your manager, you probably would have been very fortunate indeed, had I just banished you permanently from this place while still actually letting you live after all the antics that you had pulled to that point in time against me, at least."

"You would have been well within your rights so do so, in that case, no doubt, then," admitted Motoko.

"I might not have actually killed you, but you would most certainly still have been dealt with permanently, somehow, Motoko, had I been him."

"And if not by you, then most definitely by my sister, no doubt."

"But as I said earlier, I'm not him. As such, what I just said here might have happened is obviously pure speculation on my part, I think, Motoko. He obviously cared enough for you to allow you to become his wife, even after all you'd done to him over at least a few years. Same thing with several of you others, no doubt. If I would have been him, I would have then probably dealt with the troublemakers as quickly as possible and as permanently as possible, so as not to needlessly let such activities become rampant here, no matter how I might have actually gone about it. Especially in defense of the innocents that had most likely been put in great danger by needless attacks besides myself, of course. Innocents like Shinobu and Mutsumi, for instance."

"And what if others thought you might be taking inappropriate advantages of them?" asked Mitsune.

"I would just go about my required business as needed, and let people think what they may, rightly or wrongly, Mitsune. People are going to believe whatever they want to believe in this world anyway, even if the real truth is directly in front of them, I believe. If certain other people still objected, however, then they'd all just have to see that my current charges were in no real avoidable danger without their full consents and full knowledge, most likely. If not, then we'd possibly have no real problems with many people at all, for that matter."

Eventually, Sylvia ultimately said, "Besides me and Rolando, I will need Shirai and Hatani, at least. I will also need the Ghostwriter Team with us. They are currently unencumbered as well, if I'm not too mistaken here. That will make the group eleven strong, to that point in time, then. Leaving nine to thirteen spots, at most, perhaps still available for my proposed team, then."

"What about Ghostwriter, Sylvia?" asked Tina. "He's the primary, if not only, reason for our Team. Why can't he himself come along, as well?"

"Because, as far as I know, he has no bodily form that might be able to help us well enough."

"That is not entirely true. He has a physical body as well, Sylvia," said both Gaby and Setsuna together, quite strangely enough, without any prior warning that they might then say so to anyone else.

"How do you know, then, if I might ask, you two?"

Gaby said, "Someone hugged me at least a little while ago, if not a long while ago, during one of our still-recent cases, though I didn't actually happen to somehow see his face. However, everyone, I could still feel physicality and had a sense of great peace during that hug I just mentioned, somehow. His face was hooded, and it was actually dark enough around us to make it sufficiently impossible for me to then see his face well enough. He somehow seemed to be fairly strong, but not overly so, and I felt quite comforted while he held me then. I would therefore venture greatly to say that perhaps he's in between at least two places quite often in this Universe, somehow. If not more. And not just as a mere ball of light, but as an actual sentient being with some sort of physical enough form, at least every so often, for that matter, Sylvia."

"I see. And how do you know that he might have a physical body as well, then, Setsuna?"

"I will bear him children someday. And not only him, but also Zordon, believe it or not. I have seen each of our respective histories actually merging somehow in my sleep, and even whenever I've been carrying out my Sol System Senshi duties, every so often, at the Gates of Time, for that matter, Sylvia. However, both are normally caught inside something that many people might possibly refer to as a time warp of some sort, if you will. There are certain times, though, where they have periodically been able to actually be outside their own time warps for a short period of time, it seems, from my recent studying of their cases, in fact. They somehow are both actually still physical enough beings that they are both able to produce the necessary male-type gametes every so often in their respective lives that would perhaps permit them to eventually become parents as well. While I will not necessarily have to sleep with them in order to procreate with them, most likely, I will still bear children by them both, most definitely, if I'm not too mistaken here and now."

"Does your husband know this as well, then, Setsuna?" asked Rolando.

"I am aware of such things, yes, Rolando," said Malachite.

"And your opinion of such things?"

"I am not opposed to the idea that she might bear children by them through artificial means. However, I do not yet know if I would be willing to be part of a marriage where she herself had three husbands, instead of just one, for all the obvious reasons here and now, if I could not also have three wives, of course."

Sylvia said, "You already have two wives, I believe, Kosho."

"Yes, I do. Shiori and Setsuna."

"And you are expecting to perhaps have later children by Minako, are you not?"

"Yes, we already have four children on the way, in fact, Sylvia."

"You spoke of perhaps having three wives, Kosho. By having children with Minako, Setsuna, and Shinobu, you, in essence, will have at least three wives of a sort, if you don't already by now. True, you may never actually happen to marry Minako as well, but with the children that she is now still carrying, then, you will most certainly be joined together with each other from now on, forever, even if they were conceived artificially like they were."

"Your point being?" asked Kosho.

"If you will have children by at least three women, then I think it only fair, if Setsuna so desires, and if it is somehow possible, that Setsuna should also be allowed to perhaps bear at least three men's children, however they might possibly each be conceived, if at all possible. If Gaby and Setsuna are sufficiently correct here, then, and both Ghostwriter and Zordon are able to somehow father children by her, even through artificial means, Setsuna will perhaps be able to bear their children as well, just like she said she might, Malachite."

"And if so, then what?" asked Kosho.

"Then they would hopefully be able to be born as well, and have reasonably decent lives of their own, at least, of course, Kosho. No matter what, even if they were quite possibly what some might periodically call handicapped or disabled somehow, I would hope, quite naturally enough."

Keitaro soon asked, "And where do you think your other potential teammates might then come from, then, perhaps, Sylvia?"

"I would have to see where God sends Rolando and/or myself, I think, to answer that question well enough, Keitaro. As for money for potential travel, I believe there will not really be any need to spend much, if any, of it, for we can teleport, I think, elsewhere in the world, if needed. Supposing that they're elsewhere on this world of ours, of course, for sure."

Eventually, the conference of sorts ended, but not before Keitaro and Usagi said, "Go ahead and do what you feel you have to do, then, Sylvia. Take whatever time you need, but also please try to be back here as soon as you can, once you leave on this proposed mission of yours, then."

"Because you'd like us to be back, if at all possible, before the next baby or babies are born to people around here, perhaps, Keitaro?"

"Of course, Sylvia. Of course we would really like that very much, for all the obvious reasons here and now, of course."

"Understood, then. I will get right on it with Rolando, or at least I will, just as soon as I can, everyone."

Not too much later, the conference of sorts ended, as already stated. And the various people who'd just attended it well enough soon found any number of various other things to do, no matter what they might possibly be, quite naturally enough. Even Keitaro, of course, to name one of them.

* * *

Just about three days after the aforementioned conference was over quite well indeed, more or less, which happened to be December 4, 1994, Sylvia and Rolando arose from their respective beds in either the female dorm or the male dorm, as then appropriate for each of them. After which, they both soon went to the family dorm to have their breakfasts with each other and any number of other sentients currently on the Hinata Apartments' grounds. When they got there, they eventually encountered each other, of course. And Rolando soon asked Sylvia, "Did you get our marching orders from above in your sleep just a little while ago, by any chance at all, Sylvia?"

Sylvia soon said, "Yes, we are to head to Dublin, Ireland, first, to pick up two others, and then to other places as needed, once we have picked them up first. The Ghostwriter Team is to accompany us to Dublin, and then to all the other places we will then need to go before we try to get to those other sentient beings that we'll be trying to help against our mutual enemies."

Shinobu was the first of the Hinatans to see them well enough when they appeared in the main dining area for the family dorm, which was large enough to hold at least fifty or so tables on the second floor of it, if not more. She soon joined them, and then asked, "How are you two now, by the way, Sylvia?"

"We now know at least one of the places we are due to go later on before we head to that other solar system, Shinobu. The Ghostwriter Team will need to meet us later near the infirmary, it seems, before we leave. Setsuna will need to meet us there as well, too, come to think of it."

"Why her, Sylvia?"

"Because Ghostwriter will be part of the team we'll need to go there with, it seems, and she will need to find him in his physical form somehow anywhere at all in time, for that matter, Shinobu."

"I see. When do you want the Ghostwriter Team and Setsuna to meet you there, then?"

"By noon, I think, at the very latest."

"Very well, I will let them know that as soon as I can, then, Sylvia." Then Shinobu moved away from them again, and went to sit near Motoko and several others there for a while. Sylvia and Rolando soon found a table to sit at with each other, and began having their breakfasts with each other after a brief prayer over their food and drink items by Rolando here and now.

They soon got to talking at some length with each other, and Sylvia eventually said, "We will do what we need to do here, Rolando, for sure. God will bring us to the right people for the mission, no doubt, and we will save them from our enemies, at least for the time being, if not permanently, as well."

As Rolando then poured some maple syrup over some pancakes and sipped from a tall glass of chocolate milk, he asked, "Do you know the names of all our other teammates just yet, by any chance at all, Sylvia?"

"No, God has not yet seen fit to reveal their names to me well enough. But He did say that He will indicate the necessary other people for our team as needed, when needed, just the same."

They each ate a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, chicken legs, apples, cheese slices, and tall glasses of milk, in fact. It took them about half an hour each, more or less, to finish their respective breakfasts, and they finished them both at about 7:30 in the morning of December 4, 1994, at the very latest. From then until about 8:30, then, they found other things to do at their chosen table in that area of the family dorm. Things like planning their potential courses of action during their upcoming mission, or writing, or reading from the Bible, for just a few examples of the things either of them or both of them did after they'd completely finished consuming all the food and drink items that they'd gotten for their respective breakfasts, by the way.

At about 8:30 or so, they soon left the grounds temporarily with Chandra and Surya, at least, and went to one of the nearby churches in the Hinata local area for a while, so as to attend a Protestant Christian worship service there sufficiently well for at least an hour or two, if not even longer than that. They attended that church for a while, until perhaps sometime around 11:30 in the morning of Sunday, December 4, 1994, and then soon returned to the grounds of the Hinata Apartments, prior to their expected departure from them with the Ghostwriter Team.

No more than about five minutes or so after they returned sufficiently well to the Hinata Apartments' grounds, then, they were near the infirmary again as planned. Setsuna, who was talking with Jamal, Lenni, Alex, Gaby, Tina, Rob, and Hector from the Ghostwriter Team, Shirai and Haitani from the Hinatans' social circles, and with Ami Urawa from the Juubanites', soon accessed the Time Gates by using her Time Key, and began searching through all sufficiently-visible times and places in the Universe's sufficiently-known histories for Ghostwriter's actual physical form, at Sylvia's request. She soon found that form of Ghostwriter's, and opened a portal of some sort somewhat near him, in very short order. Ami then handed a specially-designed and specially-made device to Setsuna, and told her, "Setsuna, when your chosen target is within ten yards of the portal you just opened, throw the device I just handed you through the portal in his direction. But first, you will definitely still need to prime it by programming it as needed with the required characteristics of the person you want the device to home in on here well enough, of course."

Setsuna then did as Ami had just told her to do here as needed, so that the aforementioned device would only home in on Ghostwriter's very own physical form well enough here and now. It wasn't more than another minute or two, perhaps, before Setsuna threw the required device through that portal towards Ghostwriter's now-detected physical form. It soon latched onto his left wrist, and quickly took on the apparent form of a watch, more or less, perhaps, in very short order.

That done, Setsuna said, "Someone will need to bring him through the portal, if he is to accompany you on your mission, then. "

The Ghostwriter Team briefly conversed with him, and then Gaby said, "I will get his physical form through it, I suppose. Does his spirit form need to follow me through the portal as well when I get him, then, Ami?"

"It can, it seems, and you should be able to get back well enough momentarily, if you do it quickly enough, I think, Gaby. Just don't waste any unnecessary time in doing so, then, if you can possibly avoid it at all."

Gaby and Ghostwriter's spirit form then quickly passed through the portal of some sort, and Ghostwriter's spirit form soon merged with his actual physical form, somehow, once it was safe enough for it to do so here and now quite well enough. Fortunately for all concerned parties on the Hinatans' side of things here and now, Ghostwriter's physical form was currently alone where and when Setsuna had somehow located it sufficiently well, in fact.

Gaby soon addressed Ghostwriter's physical form, which was cloaked within a somewhat dark hooded robe not much unlike the habit of a medieval monk, perhaps, and she then said, "It's time to join the rest of the Team now, Ghostwriter. You will need a more common name to go by, though, I suppose."

"I somehow remember that name, but still call me just Doyle for now, please, my child. I saw the name Doyle somewhere, and I can't seem to actually remember my true name right now, though, but I still do like that name here and now, I believe. You are strangely familiar to me now, somehow, as well. Have we ever met before?"

"Many times, in fact. You do not yet remember me?"

"No, I don't think so. Who are you?"

"I am Gaby Fernandez, and at least six other people are waiting for you back where I just came from to get you, in fact. If not more."

"Very well, then, my child. Lead me to where we then need to go, if you please." He then gave her his nearest hand, which was his right hand, and she took it in her left hand. She soon led him through the portal, and as she did so, a breeze suddenly wafted, and the hood to his robe fell down to his shoulders, revealing a moderately dark-skinned face. His face appeared to be that of a man nearly 21 years old, more or less, perhaps, as they both then passed through the portal together, and as his current attire changed in its actual looks and style, by the way.

By the time they were both through the portal well enough here and now, then, his attire more resembled that of a modern soldier than that of a medieval monk. He now wore a uniform much like that of the typical U.S. Army soldier would often wear, but not entirely so. At his left hip, a scabbard hung, in which was sheathed a medium-length sword bearing various writing-related designs on its blade's two sides, from his belt. A eight-shot self-reloading pistol secretly attached somehow to one of two hidden bandoliers inside his uniform's mostly green and brown shirt hung just outside it, with old-looking white pearl-covered grips on its handle, as well. A matching pistol, also attached secretly in like manner to that of the first, was attached as necessary and appropriate to the other one, as it now hung from his right hip here and now, for that matter. Besides the sixteen bullets currently in both pistols, then, each such hidden bandolier had 992 other bullets stored currently in them that were each reduced in size, for temporary storage purposes, to roughly 2 percent of the standard size for bullets compatible enough with his pistols, in fact. If and whenever necessary, they would then each grow to the proper size for his pistols in not more than 2.4 seconds, for sure, and automatically allow his pistols to then reload as necessary and as appropriate, quite naturally enough. His head was covered by a helmet, but his face was now completely revealed. He was most definitely a black man, and he appeared to be nearly 21 years old. Doyle was evidently just about 6'2" and 185 pounds, more or less, with a somewhat slender, yet slightly athletic build to him. He had the hands of a writer, and the apparent mood of someone who generally preferred not to fight, but who would still do so, if and whenever absolutely necessary, just the same. He might not like it, of course, but he still would do so, if he had no other choice in the matter, in fact. As he followed her over to the rest of his Team, then, Doyle said, "I take it this is the rest of my Team, or at least part of it?"

"Sylvia and Rolando are not part of your Team, officially, but they have still seen you, as have any number of other people. Including Setsuna here, for that matter, Doyle," said Gaby. "You have at least two or three others that we now know of as part of it, it seems, if memory serves me well enough, but they're from a time earlier than this one, in fact. They are not going to be with us for some time, at least, while you are with us in your physical form."

"I am not generally accustomed to fighting, my child. Must I carry these weapons, Gaby?" asked Ghostwriter, AKA Doyle, not long after she had sufficiently enough then introduced him to the various others currently with her near the Hinata Apartments' infirmary area somewhere on its grounds.

"Yes, unfortunately, you do have to, Ghostwriter. Where we all are going very soon indeed, according to Sylvia, you will most definitely need them to protect not only yourself or the rest of us, but also certain others we may each encounter while we all are away from this particular place in which we now all are in here, it seems."

"And where is this place that you have now brought me to, then, if I might ask, Gaby?" asked Doyle.

"This particular place is the Hinata Apartments' grounds, and we will be going on a potential search and/or rescue mission, at least, it seems. We may very well have to kill in order to save those other sentient beings we are leaving here to find in at least one other solar system, if not more than one. While none of us really like that idea much, for sure, we are willing to accept it, just the same, for we really have no other choice in the related matter or matters here. Most especially if any number of other children of some sort or sorts are in great, if not grave, danger due to certain other sentient beings, we feel, Ghostwriter."

"I see, Gaby. We must save the children, then, if there are any, of course, from any and all unnecessary harm due to other sentient beings' presences."

"Agreed," said Gaby, as she then suddenly powered up into her own combat state of being as X-Ray Girl, followed not too long after doing so, by the rest of the Ghostwriter Team and by Sylvia and Rolando, as necessary and as appropriate enough here and now. When Doyle asked what each of them were now called while in their current combat states of being, Gaby soon said, "I am X-Ray Girl in this form. Jamal is Cyberfusion. Lenni is Soulsong. Alex is the Sleuth. Tina is Cosmica. Rob is Quillmaster. Hector is Dr. Illusion. Sylvia is Sailor Skyhorse and/or Sailor Rizob. And Rolando is the Pilgrim and/or Rizob Knight, depending on what form or forms he may be in at a specific time in battle against various other sentient beings. At present, Sylvia is now acting as Sailor Skyhorse, and Rolando is acting as the Pilgrim."

Sailor Skyhorse said, all of a sudden, "It is probably best that we set off now for wherever we now have to go, then, everyone. Take up your proper positions prior to teleport as I have already placed you in, please. Doyle, you will then need to stand between the Pilgrim and Cyberfusion, it seems, and take each of their nearest hands, before we can leave here well enough. Please do so, so we can leave and return here again as soon as possible." Doyle almost immediately did so, then, once he saw sufficiently well where he was supposed to do just that here and now. With that then done, Skyhorse then said, "Twelve people ready to teleport now, Lord. Bring us where you wish us to go now, when you please, then."

"As you request, so shall it be done, My child," said God, somehow, in her head. Five seconds later, then, at most, the twelve necessary souls were no longer still anywhere on the grounds of the Hinata Apartments, but somewhere in Dublin. And not only that, but in an alley behind a series of mostly empty or mostly less well-off stores in the more mercantile areas of the city, for that matter.

They soon heard several people arguing with each other, and then two other people were suddenly tossed or shoved into the alley somewhat near them from one of those stores through either a side or rear entrance/exit for that store, in fact. The twelve soon came up to them, and found those two people elsewhere in the alley, in very short order, quite naturally enough.

When Skyhorse and the Pilgrim came up to them well enough, then, God said, to them both, "These two will need to accompany you on your mission, my children. Bring them along, and they will be of good service to you in terms of being able to communicate with those of certain other worlds in my very own Universe. I have given them both the abilities of knowledge and of comprehension and of communication in the necessary non-Terran languages, for your information, here and now. They will defend, but they will not attack, in the coming battle against your current enemies, at least until you return to Earth with them at the end of your mission."

Mere moments later, then, the two aforementioned people were somewhat warmly welcomed into the now-growing group, and they both soon introduced themselves as Llallivosin Bracan and Dachalacheu Ornans. Llalli, as they'd normally wish to be called, if and whenever possible at any particular time yet in the future, was a still-young Caucasian-looking boy of perhaps 16 years old, more or less. Dacha, on the other hand, was a still-young mixed-race girl of perhaps 15 years old, more or less, but who still looked like she was perhaps at least 23 years old, if not even older than that, in her own life. Llalli was about 5'6" and 145 pounds, perhaps, with a full head of fiery red hair, and a temper often as hot, if not always as hot, as the red in his hair. While Dacha was a dark-haired girl who was now just about 5'9" and about 170 pounds, more or less, with primarily Asiatic-looking facial features and primarily European-looking build due to certain ancestors mostly on her paternal side. And with a certain skin tone of her very own that was somewhere between tanned skin and milk chocolate-colored skin due to certain ancestors mostly on her maternal side, both of American Indian stock and of East African stock.

After they were made part of the group, then, God soon whisked the fourteen to still another location elsewhere on Earth, just as suddenly as He'd just brought twelve members of it to Dublin, Ireland, not too long before then. He then whisked the fourteen to Rome, Italy, and the group then grew by another two. Most specifically, those other two brand-new members of the group were Vaptulo Nircius and Tadurius Ryrnes. Then He whisked the still-growing group to Jerusalem, Israel, where they soon were joined in the group by Retauni Grevomus, Jareen Haller, Gancent Rheifee, and Uilann Dolotte, along with several members of Sylvia's family and a number of her friends, at least, after God decided that they should head to the Hinata Apartments for a while as well. Finally, He brought them all to Kyoto, where they were ultimately joined by Hidashi Totokuko and Yemaro Hirami, in due time, for one last stop before returning to the Hinata Apartments for a brief time, in fact.

Once that was done well enough, God briefly brought everyone then with Sailor Skyhorse to the grounds of the Hinata Apartments, where Sylvia's friends, relatives, and/or associates from Israel were soon given rooms in one or more of the dorms as necessary and as appropriate here and now. When that was done well enough, then, Skyhorse and the required members of her current mission team were all soon whisked out of the Sol System of the Universe's Milky Way Galaxy, and brought to an entirely different one, within the next day or so after their departure, more or less, at most.

* * *

The next chapter may have two different versions of it. I have written a more mature version of it, and if I use it, I may have to bump the rating up to Mature for this story. If I use the less mature version, it might be somewhat shorter than, and not as in-depth as, the other one might be. Before I post the next chapter, I most certainly will need to know which version you all might generally wish for more, and prepare a less mature version of it, just in case you prefer that one. Same thing with Chapter Eleven, at least, for sure. Chapter Twelve will possibly be the ending chapter of this volume here, or almost the ending chapter of it. And it will probably be somewhat large, in either version, once I post some version of it well enough. Just so you all know this quite well enough, people. Until then, I shall close this, and wait for your thoughts and opinions about the next potential chapter or chapters for this story here. I have actually written a version for Chapter Ten already, and Chapter Eleven is still incomplete, but I will eventually finish the latter, for sure, everyone. When I finish work on Chapters Ten and Eleven well enough, then, I will, of course, post them, if and when I can. Please take care and all that, then, everyone, until we meet again. TUS out.


End file.
